Decaying Ideals
by 4elementsfan4621
Summary: In the wake of the USJ incident, Principal Nezu decides to fill another seat for a new counselor at UA. The person he chooses, however, has a lot to discover and a lot to accept. OC/? , KiriBaku, Deku/Uraraka.
1. Chapter 1

USJ...the incident, Tsuki Himari had seen the news. Even with all of her current cases right now, she still found time to watch the news.

With the outstanding increase in technology, many patients had been reported more and more, but Himari knew things weren't getting worse. There was just a working system now.

She was expecting a call from Nezu: the principal of UA High. A very famous high school built on making Endeavor and All Might heroes. They had contacted her of all the consolers in the Center and decided on her for a interview for a counselor for the school.

Why her of all people?

Himari didn't understand such things. It drove her mind crazy. She wonders what exactly did Nezu need from her? So many questions that were running through her mind.

The wait for the call felt like hours and hours on end, but it had merely been twenty minutes since Himari had gotten into her apartment. Getting home from a long day at work, working with kids with special needs, working with parents that would sometimes give her a headache. There were good ones, and then there were the bad ones that were begging children to beat the gay out of them, to be like they had wanted their kid to be, not who they wanted. Some parents wanted her to tell their children it was a phase and to remind them of such things were evil in this world and that God was the only way.

Such words may Himari want to vomit. She had to argue with the results and the way her cases have to be worked. The arguing, was just exhausting. It reminded her just how much she hated conflict in this world.

She heard her phone buzzed, but it wasn't Nezu, it was a text message from her grandmother.

" _Just checking on how you were doing, honey. Call me tonight and tell me how your talk with Nezu goes."_

It made Himari's nerves relaxen from the text. She was happy she was checking up on her. It was so hard to see them these days. She was far too busy working. Working six days a week exhausted her, and she was cranking up overtime nearly every week.

She texted her Grandma back, sending the message to her.

" _Ah, yes I will! Thank you, your words really help me."_

Not even a moment after she sent the text, her phone went off, picking it up, she spoke, "Hello?"

"Himari, it's principal Nezu." The joyful voice at the end called, "How are you?"

"Tired from work, honestly." She replied, standing to her feet, "How are you doing?"

"Good, good, my apologies for keeping you waiting. I had a meeting with my staff." Nezu told her, "I was wondering if I could have you come into UA to work here. Despite your age and being out of college for a year now, your colleagues have told me you're a fantastic worker. Very passionate, I've heard."

The praising made Himari's face heat up in embarrassment, "A job at UA?" She breathed. Working with adolescents was her specialty in the mental health field, "Are you serious?"

"Completely." Came Nezu's voice from the other end of the phone, "The students certainly need someone that is skillful at your kind of field. We've been looking for a school counselor since before the school year started. You seem very skilled at combat as well despite hiding such a concept from your fellow coworkers."

"Umm...yeah let's hope I don't have to use my combat skills." Himari sighed. Combat really wasn't her thing. Her knowledge and skills that weren't for combat were much better. She really didn't like getting her hands dirty. It was why she was so good at certain things.

"Of course, but if you found yourself in a situation, I'm sure you wouldn't sit and watch any of your future students get hurt. Himari, it's your decision if you want to take such a position along." Nezu told her through the phone calmly as she nodded.

"Yes, I know." She would; it wasn't like her to just stand by and watch someone get hurt. It was the reason why she almost lost her job three months in. She swallowed her anxiety. Talking on the phone was never really easy for her, "My-My apologies, for my hesitation." It would be nice to work at a school. Nice and quiet, well as quiet as hero schools could get. The cases at her job now had a lot of likelihood of getting a bit crazy. Not that she minded at all, it was great to help people either through a fight or through a session.

"But, I-I would be glad to take the offer. I'll give my notice at the center tomorrow. I'll be honored to teach at UA." She had to make the decision now. Even if it was kind of nerve racking in the wake of the USJ incident that had happened a few days ago, she needed to make a decision.

"Glad to hear it." Nezu said happily, "I'll be happy to meet you when you start on Monday. I expect a lot of good things from you."

"Thank you." She smiled, trying to feign her confidence as she always tried to do, "I won't let you down. Have a good day, Principal Nezu."

"You too, bye!" And with that, Himari hanged up the phone. UA, huh? It wasn't too far from her, probably a ten minute walk, but she looked forward to it.

Her boss is gonna be sad though that she was leaving, but if Nezu had already talked to them, he was certain to know. She sighed, it was time to get some dinner, and some rest.

XXXX

She was eating some pasta she cooked up a twenty minutes later, watching the news. It had been about the USJ attack again.

" _Reports say that the League of Villains' attack on the USJ had to be planned, but UA is not releasing any statements at this time."_

Images showed a man with white hair with a hand on his head. Another one, like some kind of portal. That wasn't who Himari was curious about.

It was the man with the hand on his face. Something tore familiar with that man. Something Himari had no idea about, but she knew there was something up with him. It wasn't a coincidence...

She had no intention of finding that out anytime soon. However, if she needed another reason to go to UA, that was it. If this guy attacked the USJ, he'd be around there soon enough again, and maybe, Himari could get some answers about this guy.

About this League of Villains. According to what she knew from the media, they had to have it planned. It didn't make any sense to her. What was their goal? Why would they attack a high school? Did they have a personal grudge against one of the staff? Did they want the media getting deeper with this and hating heroes more and more? But then again, why would villains want that? It didn't make any sense to her…

She's treading on something she shouldn't be concern though. Whoever that hand guy was, even if he looked like someone she used to know, he was a villain nonetheless.

And if she had to meet him in battle to protect her future students, so be it. Himari had never been the one for violence, but she knows one thing, protecting the students was a part of her job as not only a hero, but as the school counselor as well.

She had to be ready for anything as a hero. What was she thinking? Chickening out on the phone like that? Principal Nezu probably found her weak now. He'd probably call her tomorrow and say he was going to look for someone else with a backbone. Did her nature of insecurity and her pacifistic nature just screw her over a job? Oh this was bad, bad, very bad. She couldn't get screwed over this new job. She just couldn't.

She was also eating very fast after she got those negative emotions.

After minutes and minutes of going through her mistake in her mind, she took a deep breath. She had finished her food a minute after she freaked out. Talk about embarrassing. She better not act like that on Monday, or she's really going to get worse.

Ah, she needed to stop doing that. She needed to stop going into that habit. It was a bad one, even into her childhood years she had done it. The struggle.

XXXX

The next day came, and Himari found herself sitting in her bosses' office, twiddling her thumbs in a circle. She was super nervous.

The man, Sato stared at her sternly before he smiled, "That little of a notice huh? I'll admit, that Nezu guy was a talker. He nagged me on for thirty minutes about you." He didn't know much about the famous Nezu, but the guy liked to talk a little too much.

"That's odd." Himari blinked, before putting a finger on her lips, "I wonder if he talked less to me because he disliked me. Could it have been in my stuttering last night? Maybe it was…"

"Himari, you're doing that thing again." Sato sighed before Himari jumped from her seat.

"Ahhh, sorry." She fidgeted, scrunching up her face in response before sitting back down. Ah, why does she keep holding onto her mistakes?

"I'm sure if he offered you the position that he finds you capable of it." He poured some tea into a cup on his desk, handing it to Himari, "Seriously, Himari, you should have some faith in yourself. You're a very capable person, very hard working, and kind. You'll do great at UA." He was happy she was getting something like this. It was hard to see the girl that arrived here a year ago with a fresh degree go.

"Uhhh, it's-it's not that…" She put her hand up in defense, "I just get too caught up in my mistakes, you know that." She took a sip of her tea.

"Regardless, Himari, I'm sure you'll be okay. Take as much time as you need to let your patients know that they will be getting a new caseworker after tomorrow. Tomorrow is your day off, after all so this will be your last day."

"Thank you." Himari smiled, getting out of her seat, bowing before turning to walk out of his office. She turned back to him, "It's been a pleasure working with you."

XXXX

Himari stood at the doorway of a rundown house. This was where one of her cases were at, with the youngest of kids, a five year old boy by the name of Daichi.

His mother opened the door, shooting Himari a slight smile, "Hello Himari." She closed her eyes. Her blond hair had been messed up and she was wearing a very long white t-shirt and slippers, "How's your day going?"

"Ah, pretty good." Himari smiled and nodded at the woman before she was suddenly jumped by a short brown haired boy, "Ah!" She was startled, stumbling forward.

"Hi, Himari-sensei." The boy squealed happily, latching onto her arm.

She ruffled the boy's hair and smiled, "Hi there, Daichi-san." She chuckled, lifting him up before turning to his mother, "So how is he doing this morning."

"Well, he took his medication that his psychiatrist prescribed to him." She replied, "He's been doing very well today. I think it's working. Since you started with us on his case, he's been doing a lot better. Slow progress but every day, he's working on it."

"I'm very proud of you, Daichi-san." Himari smiled, "Do you want to go get some ice cream? It's pretty hot today." She wanted him to enjoy himself and the progress he's made. Plus, she wanted to treat him on her last day.

"Yes, yes! I totally want some ice cream. Do you think I can play at the park soon?" Daichi asked excitedly.

"Of course." She smiled, ruffling his hair, "You gotta show me your progress on your work." She leaned to his level, booping him on the nose, putting him down, offering a hand for him to take.

"Yes ma'am." He grinned happily.

XXXX

After getting him ice cream, Himari watched him playing with the fellow kids, watching them play a game of hide and seek in the playground. She could see Daichi sliding down the slide. She decided to finally check her phone.

 _Three missed calls from Grandma._

 _Three messages._

Huh? What could be going on now? She wondered before opening her messages.

 _You're at Daichi's, right? Please be careful, there's been kidnappings going on around that area._

Kidnappings?

She looked down at the next message.

 _Himari, please be careful, there's been a lot of heroes getting murdered all around Japan._

Another message. Murders? What?

 _You're probably busy, but I wanted to let you know about that. Call me later, okay? Love you!_

She didn't even tell her grandma that she had a new job in two days. Dang, talk about nuts. Murders and kidnappings? She should get her nose out of her phone then.

She put her phone back into her pocket before she noticed a male taking a seat next to her. Her eyes widened in surprise, not expecting someone to sit next to her. He had some weird markings on his face. It looks like burns almost but she could see that behind his black, torn hood.

"Strange, looking how those kids can live without a single gripe. I wish I had those days…" The man leaned back on the bench and glanced at the woman, "You didn't get days like that, did you."

Himari found her eyes going even wider at the man's words, "Ah, how did you…."

"It's because you got that same look in your eyes as me. You've had it rough, I can tell." The man sighed, "But I didn't come here to get lifey with a stranger. What's your name? You look a little young to be a mother to any of those kids." He watched them, running around. They were at an age where their quirks hadn't activated activated quite yet. They were probably less than a year away.

"My name is Tsuki Himari." The woman introduced herself, "And no, I'm not a mother to one of those kids. One of the kids is actually someone I'm working with due to some...incidents in his life."

The man sat upright, chuckling, "You didn't seem like you were, but I figured I ask." He snorted at her next words, smirking, "Classified information, I take it?"

She blinked, nodding at his words, "Yes, it's classified information."

A sigh fell from the man's lips, "This is the age before everything falls apart. Quirks are a great tool for anyone's motivation but it can also be a downfall. Like those shitty people in the Hero Society." He wasn't going to mention names but maybe he and this woman could come to an agreement on something.

"Yeah, I can admit, some of them don't deserve their fame." Himari nodded in agreement, "I don't like being flashy with my quirk. I prefer to help people psychologically."

"A psychologist huh? Interesting profession." The man retorted, "Now you got me a little curious, what is your quirk exactly?" He asked. This girl agreed huh? He wonders why that was but more conversation with them while the kids play could pass the time up.

"Why w-would you want…" She trailed off before she was about to go into one of her moping rants. Shaking it aside, she spoke once again to answer his question,"My quirk is Emotion. I can change the emotions of anyone so long as I've felt that emotion I'm trying to put on someone in the last twenty-four hours." She answered.

"I see, so tell me, Himari, what exactly makes you think there are some people that don't deserve the fame that they get?" He asked her, motioning her to go on with what she said before.

"What about your name?" She retorted while he laughed.

"Heh, not really a reason to tell you, but if you're curious, I guess I'll let you slide by." He did ask for something as well for his curiosity. Guess he'd have to give something in exchange, "My name's Dabi." He told her. His voice, dropping a bit.

"Dabi huh? Well to answer your question before." Her eyes averted to the ground, "I used to live in a quiet village. My parents didn't want me so they dumped me to some people I consider my grandparents." She watched Daichi throwing a ball to another kid, "I was a quiet kid, but I managed to befriend someone. That someone ended up dead though, and I couldn't save him." She was only a kid, sure, but her first friend died and she still felt like it was her fault. Old wounds were opening again.

"Ah, you blame the heroes for that now?" He asked her before Himari's eyes widened, waving her hands in protest.

"Ah, n-no, not like that! I wasn't meaning like that." She quickly regained her composure, "I don't know, it's not something I've really thought about before. I mean, I know there are some bad heroes, like I'm not a fan of Endeavor much. He gives me some corruption vibes, and he's kind of a jerk. I've never met him, but I know some of the horrible things he's done."

So this girl hates Endeavor, huh? Has to have some good taste in heroes if she hates him of all people, "You certainly not the only one. I'm not a fan of him either. It's people like him that I'm the way I am today. Hopefully, they'll be someone getting rid of those false heroes soon." He stood to his feet, clenching his fists tightly, turning to her, "Whatever your alignment is, I'm sure you will agree with that. We need more people like you that are willing to stand up against these screwed up heroes." He started to walk away before he turned back, a smirk falling on his lips, "I hope you have the guts to rise from that society." And with that said, he left, leaving Himari confused.

Why did he even ask her all of those questions? Was he trying to pass time? Did he just wanna talk?

"Himari-sensei!" She looked down to see Daichi clinging to her leg, "Who was that guy you were talking to?" He asked curiously while Himari sighed.

"I'm not sure, but…" There was something off with him. Something different. He'd ask constant questions about her but only acknowledge giving her a name. Dabi, huh? Interesting to say the least. Have the guts to rise from that society? What did he mean by that? How? How was she even supposed to? She didn't know how, but maybe she'll find the answer soon.

"Nothing, let's get you home and you can work on your homework." She grinned happily at him, trying to cheer him up.

"Okay, if you say so." Daichi blushed in embarrassment, "Those kids were talking about disappearances."

"Don't worry, the pros are investigating." She ruffled his hair, "They'll take care of that problem no sweat." She at least hoped so. Considering she was a pro hero herself, she might have to face down that guy who keeps cutting down heroes.

Just as she and Daichi were walking, she saw All Might, the number one hero on one of the TVs up on the building. Laughter boomed from the TV screen, "Remember it's always good to go beyond your limits. Push forward and you will see your progress and don't stop til you reach that goal. You will work your way towards that goal if you work hard. Have a nice evening, citizens and remember to go beyond plus ultra!"

The TV went off and Daichi tugged on Himari's arm, "Oi! Oi! Did you see that, Himari-sensei? That was the Symbol of Peace! All Might looks so amazing, I can't wait to end up like him one day." He tried to mimic All Might's voice, "I am here!"

Himari laughed, resting a hand on his shoulder, "Well, I could probably get an autograph for you." She would do it for him, that's for sure. All Might was one of the teachers at UA, so she'd probably would run into him.

"Really? You mean it?" Daichi was excited now. His own All Might autograph? That was crazy. How did Himari-sensei know him?

"Yeah, well, I have a new job, Daichi. I'll be working as UA's counselor which means I'll probably get to meet All Might." She grinned. It was now or never on telling the kid. Noticing he was sniffling, probably trying not to cry, she kneels to his level and wraps her arms around him, "It'll be okay. I'm gonna be around to visit you. I'll still be here even though I won't be handling your case anymore."

"But-But…" Daichi sniffled, crying into Himari's chest.

She patted his back, "It'll be alright, I'll still be here for you whenever you need me. You can always ask your mom to call me." She stuck her pinkie out, "Pinkie promise?"

Daichi wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded, smiling before wrapping small his pinkie around hers, "Okay, but have a lot of fun." 

Himari was surprised by his words, but nodded, tucking a lock of her long brown hair behind her right ear, smiling once again, "Sure, I will, Daichi."

XXXX

And just like that, the day of her first day at UA came. She was excited. A new chapter of her life awaited, and she was excited. She hadn't been really familiar with it, but she remembered her grandfather had been working there back when she was growing up.

She walked to the school, yawning to herself. It was a little early for her to be out right now, but she'll have to get used to it. It would take some time before she would be able to, of course.

It was a pretty quiet walk there. She was enjoying the fresh air. Not to mention it was a lot cooler than what it was yesterday. Less humid. It was a great start to her first day.

The courtyard of the school was beyond beautiful. She was super happy she decided to come here now. She was supposed to meet with Principal Nezu in about fifteen minutes. It was before school, and many students weren't here. In fact, Himari had only saw a few of them around here.

She stepped into the grounds, walking by a few students that were sitting outside, looking at some of the notes she jotted down, "Ah, so I'll have to make sure I don't stutter, good, good." She pulled out her pencil from her purse, checking that off the list, "Be confident." She checked that off, "and then I'll have to make sure I don't drag on any mistakes I made. Yes, yes," Himari beamed, grinning happily, "I'll totally destroy this meeting today and my first day to boot!"

Suddenly, she bumped into someone, "Ah-Ah, I'm…" She trailed off, feeling a hand patting her on the head, looking at who was towering over her.

It was All Might, in the flesh. Like real life. Ah, this was super embarrassing.

"Ah, ah, I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, "Please forgive me I didn't mean to run into you, sir. You see it's my first day, and I'm really nervous so I wrote down a whole bunch of notes and…" Her speech moved very quickly because she was nervous.

All Might ruffled her hair and gave her his signature smile, "Oh? Your first day, huh? You must be the woman I get to show around. I believe your name is." He pulled out a piece of paper himself, "Tsuki Himari! Yes, what a pleasure to meet you, Young Himari! Welcome to the wonderful staff of UA." He flexes his muscles, not even thinking about the apology for bumping into him. She seemed to mutter like Young Midoriya does from time to time.

Himari chuckled, "I didn't know you were going to be the one to escort me around the school." She smiled. All Might's energy was really bright. She could really see why he was the Symbol of Peace, "but I'm glad. I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long." She scratched the back of her head nervously. Great, she was already blowing this already.

"Nonsense, you were right on time." He patted her on the shoulder, "No need to get nervous. UA is a splendid place to work at!" He grinned happily, "We're starting a tour. What an honor to do such a deed for a new teacher at UA." Although, he noticed she was younger than what he had expected. She had to be at least in her twenties.

They had gone a lot of the school. All Might was a very filled with energy. It was inspirational, really. They were now walking to where Principal Nezu was at.

"So tell me a bit about yourself, Young Himari." All Might grinned, wanting to get to know UA's new counselor. She had been pretty quiet along the way, but she definitely looked a lot less nervous than earlier.

Himari blinked at his words, scratching the back of her head, "Ah, well there's not much about me, honestly. I'm a general education hero. I love helping people in my field, and my quirk is pretty handy for that too, but I tend to let my patients know that I can't always fix their mood." She fidget, "But I like reading." She smiled.

"Can't fix their mood?" All Might nearly forgot what Principal Nezu had told him about this girl. She had some emotion quirk if he remembered correctly, "Ah, yes, Principal Nezu told me a bit about your quirk. How does it work?" Reading? What a splendid hobby!

"I can manipulate emotions, but only anything I've felt in the last twenty-four hours." She explained while All Might nodded at her words, finally reaching the doors of Principal Nezu's office.

"Ah, so here's your stop, Young Himari. It was a pleasure showing you around. Now I must go to prepare teaching my class of the day." And with that said, he dashed away quickly, leaving Himari speechless.

Crap, she forgot she wanted to get Daichi an autograph! Well, she's certain she would see him around.

She looked at the golden doorknob, gulping, feeling a bit nervous at what awaited her on this new path. She was way more nervous earlier, but All Might had made her feel better with doing the tour and showing her around. It really lighten her mood.

She took a deep breath in and a deep breath out before opening the door, revealing a weird, mouse? She at least thought Nezu looked like a mouse of some kind. He had a scar on his eye as well.

Nezu looked up at her from the book he was reading a waved happily at her, "Hello, Himari-san." He grinned happily, motioning her to have a seat, "I hope your commute this morning ran smoothly." He poured some green tea into a two cups, sliding her one of the cups.

"It has, thank you." She smiled, taking a sip of the tea. UA seemed like a very good place from what she had seen so far, "Your staff is very welcoming."

"Thank you." Nezu smiled, "Now, since the USJ incident, I do want to talk to you about a few things. One of them is the students I've selected you to help with during the term." He showed two photos to her, "They've all had pretty rough childhoods and at first, I didn't want to do it without properly asking them. However, I feel like it's important that these students get help for what they've gone through before it gets worse so I've required these students to come and see you." He took a sip of his tea, "These are all students of Class 1-A." He pointed at the boy with messed up green hair, "This is Midoriya Izuku. He had a lot of bullying before he transferred to UA, and I feel that he needs some help on getting over some of the trauma." He pointed at the next photo. This time, it was a boy with white and red hair, and a scar on his face, "This is Todoroki Shouto. I don't know much of his history, but what I do know is that his father was neglectful and his mother is in a mental hospital. I want you to talk to him and see if he will open up about some things in his life. He got that scar from his mother."

Himari's eyes widened in shock at that. His mother...did what?

"Surely, you as someone who's worked in the mental health field can connect the dots." Nezu told her and she nodded, "I will also be giving you some students to work with in the future as well. Being a hero is no easy job, training to become one is just as rough as you already know."

Himari took a sip of her drink, thinking about what Dabi had talked to her about two days ago. That there were false heroes. Heroes that didn't deserve their position. It's no reason that Dabi hated Endeavor from what news she's gotten, but did he know about what he did to his family? It was hard for her to swallow such things. Family wasn't supposed to be like that, but from her cases, she knew that there were parents that simply ignored their kids or abused them. It's rough, and she feels how that could hurt someone.

With Midoriya's situation, Himari felt that personally. She wanted to help these two kids, help them get through their horrible things.

"I understand that it might be rough to see students going through the same thing you did, but I also am aware you've taken on quite a bit of cases before as well on this same topic. I trust you will not have a problem talking with these children, getting to know them, and coming up with skills to help them." He took another sip of his tea, "I do have one request and rule for this: You cannot use your quirk to calm them down. You're only allowed to do so every week. Only one time during the week. You of all people know that these kids will not keep moving without learning to handle it themselves." He told her and she nodded at his words.

"Yes, I understand." She nodded at his words, "Anything else?"

"Actually yes," Nezu pulled out a file, "I know you were in a incident when you were younger. A big one, at that. We have reason to believe that someone that was in the survivor list here might be one of the villians that attacked the USJ a while back. If you have any information on who he is from the pictures of these survivors, please let me know. I'll let you look over it for the night." He told her, "Get yourself settled today. Tomorrow, you will start on your counseling for these two students and see to the others whenever they need a talk."

Himari nodded, standing up from her seat, bowing politely at the man. She took the file he gave her, "Yes, sir. I take it this meeting is done?"

"Yes." Nezu nodded, smiling at her, "Adjust to your office, Miss Tsuki."

XXXX

Himari looked at the files that Nezu gave her. One of the villains from the USJ? Could it have been the hand guy from before that she saw on TV? She knew he was familiar, but she had no idea from where. She couldn't get a good look of him with that hand. Himari didn't really know a lot of people in that village either. She was a very shy girl back then, and didn't really talk to anyone but her old friend and he wasn't on this list of those alive. Just as she expected and knew, her old friend was dead.

She felt her heart twist at those words, sighing to herself. It was time for her to go home. Dabi's words were true. She could feel that. His statement from before though…

 _I hope you have the guts to rise from that society._

What did he mean by rise? Did he mean not let those 'false heroes' stay in their place? What did he mean…

She went over to look at her phone, seeing a headline from the news.

" _Hero Killer Stain strikes Again, killing three proheroes overnight in Tokyo."_

She remembers the text she got two days ago, something about being careful about some guy killing heroes. This guy must be the one her grandmother told her about.

What was this guy's goal. Why did he keep killing heroes?

This was confusing; she literally had no reason but to think he was a serial killer according to the headline.

She sighed, shutting her phone off and gathering her things to go home. She should just let those words go, but she couldn't. It was better to let it go, yes, but somehow, she couldn't. She needed some rest. Maybe she would stop overthinking this answer. Even without evidence, did Dabi and the Hero Killer's ideology possibly mesh?

She was going to go home and take a nice rest. She needed it. UA was nice, but all the conversations with Nezu and All Might made her exhausted.

Tomorrow, she would really start her new journey.


	2. Chapter 2

**For everyone reading this chapter, there's a mention of suicide and mental illness. You've been warned! Disclaimer, BNHA isn't owned by me, it belongs to Hirokoshi.**

Midoriya Izuku was a boy that didn't expect to ever be sent to the Principal's Office. He wasn't getting into trouble. At least, not as often as he thinks. He was kind of nervous about this being sent here. What did Principal Nezu want from him?

He knocked on the door of Principal Nezu's office before hearing a "Come in." before Izuku opened the door.

"Have a seat, Izuku." He gestured for the boy to do so. Nodding, he took a seat.

"What's this about, Principal Nezu?" He asked, fidgeting. Was he gonna expel him for something he didn't do? Send him somewhere else? He sounded calm, but on this inside, his anxiety was trying to scream out in all directions of his body. His body tensed up, waiting to hear Principal Nezu's answer. It felt like minutes and minutes when it was only moments in reality.

"It's about your studies." Nezu replied, "More like about yourself, really. It seems that your past has haunted you for quite a long time according to our record. Constant bullying, constant belittling, I also heard you've attempted suicide at one point. You were only nine years old at the time, and had realized you were going to be quirkless for the rest of your life." Nezu put the files down as he looked at Izuku who had been shaking like a leaf at this point. Sweat, dripping on his forehead.

"I-I…" Izuku began, not wanting UA to know of such a thing that had happened in the past. He must hate him. He was going to be treated like a villain now.

"There's no need to apologize, Izuku." Nezu smiled, pouring some tea for himself, "Many people in the past have attempted suicide because they have found out they are quirkless. Many people struggle with depression as well. We have the ability to help you." He took a drink of his tea, "Which is why I've summoned you here. You will be working with our new counselor: Tsuki Himari. She's very skilled for the job, and she's a very kind person." He set his tea cup down, "She will keep everything confidential from everyone during your session. Aizawa and I will be the only ones she will tell about your progress."

Izuku didn't know what to say. He never really thought about going to a counselor. He never really gave it much thought to get help for his constant depression. He had a hard time really talking to people too because of his bullying growing up. At least, that's what he thought of. He'd always been afraid of a misdiagnosis too. What if he gets that?

"I...I don't know what to say…" Izuku trailed off, looking down from Principal Nezu's gave. He was heartbroken and lost.

"It's alright, it's a lot to take in." Nezu nodded at his words, "It's alright; this is made so you can eventually get better. I assure you, you'll get frustrated, but you will get better with time." He handed Izuku a paper, "Your session with her is going to happen after school and will consist of a session time of how she chooses based off of how you feel." That's how it usually worked.

Izuku was so nervous. He didn't know how to really take this. It was so nerve racking that he had to take this. Other kids didn't have to go through this. So why him? Why him?

"You're dismissed, Midoriya Izuku." Nezu turned his back to him before turning back to him, "And if you need further assistance, please let me know."

As Izuku was opening the door, he noticed a familiar red and white haired boy standing by the doorway, "Todoroki?" He was surprised to see him at the door.

Todoroki looked up from his phone, "Midoriya, I didn't think you were going to get sent to Principal Nezu's office." He seemed a little too nice to be getting into trouble. Of all people, he was expecting Bakugou to get sent here, not Midoriya.

"Uhh…" Izuku swallowed his anxiety that was still building from earlier, "well, it's not like I got into trouble or anything…" He folded his hands together, feeling his palms sweating from the anxiety. Oh crap, he wasn't doing a good job hiding it.

"I figured you weren't in too much trouble." That quirk of his. It seemed just like All Might's. It was so odd. Why did he have a similar power to All Might's? Was he some kind of child of All Might's or something? "You don't seem like the kind of person who would be breaking the rules so early in."

Izuku nodded, "Y-Yeah, I didn't do anything, Todoroki. So why did you get called down here? You don't seem like you'd get a reason to be in trouble either." Considering what he had heard about Todoroki during the USJ attack, he did a lot of work and stopped a lot of the villains.

"Not sure, but I wouldn't worry about it too much, Midoriya." Todoroki narrowed his eyes at the doorway, "I'm sure it'll be alright." He looked at Midoriya, "I better get going in there. You better get back to class too. You shouldn't keep Mister Aizawa waiting."

With that said, he walked past Izuku and opened the door to Principal Nezu's room.

XXXX

"You want me to do what?"

Todoroki was speechless at his Principal's requirement. He wanted him to go talk with the new school counselor every week?

"Principal Nezu." He began calmly, "I don't really think that's necessary. I'm not trying to say you're wrong, but it's been a long time since she did that to my face." He touched his scar on his face, looking away from Principal Nezu for a moment and then back at him. He had to be healed at this point. It happened so long ago.

"Time doesn't always heal wounds, especially mental ones." Principal Nezu told him, taking a sip of his tea, "That doesn't mean that you're weak from getting this. Many heroes in training in the past have had to go through these counselors to help them get through and go beyond their mental weaknesses. To cope with their mental scars." He raised his index finger up in the air and smiled, "There's no reason to be so upset."

"I'm not upset…" Todoroki hesitated, trying to find the right words. He shouldn't have reacted like that now that he thought about, "I just didn't expect to get a requirement like counseling." Another thought occurred to him, his father wasn't going to be happy he could expose information about his family like that. If his father knew, he wouldn't know what he would do. Not that he cared, he was more worried about this new counselor having to deal with his father, if anything.

"If you're worried about your father tapping in information or convincing Miss Tsuki of anything, you won't have to worry about that. She'll trust your intuition. Most counselors usually believe the victim over someone that did the abuse." Nezu trusted her. Himari was a very kind hearted person that wanted to help other people get through their mental hardships. Judging by how she reacted earlier, he was confident that she wouldn't even listen to the number two hero about such things.

Todoroki was nervous, but Nezu had a point. Still, he wasn't sure if Endeavor would be asking some questions to her if he knew. How would she react? "I understand your words, but I can't help but wonder if he gets involved…"

"That's normal, and it shows that you need the counseling, but if you won't trust Miss Tsuki, you can trust me," Nezu told him as he nodded.

"Yes, I trust you." Swallowing his anxiety, he rose from his seat, "I'll believe you, but it doesn't change my thoughts on the situation." Todoroki turned from him, opening the door, and leaving the room.

Nezu didn't expect him to change his thoughts on the situation, but if he stubbornly keeps himself from getting better, it won't happen. However, Nezu knew his new staff member's skill and knew she was important for the job. She was the right person to do this no doubt about it.

XXXX

At lunch, Himari was going over her notes for her sessions that were coming up for the day. On top of that, she was looking over all the notes she conducted from the case as well. It had been hours and hours of looking up results. Her notes from the case were coated in crossing out words and putting words back in over and over again. It wasn't the neatest handwriting.

She had to talk to Nezu after her sessions on the case so she was trying to focus on the sessions themselves, what questions to ask, and what she should do not to try to push anything that they didn't want to come out and say.

Being a counselor, was no easy job.

She was with the other staff members but sat away from them, trying to concentrate. Taking a bite of her sandwich, she hears someone smacking the table, jumping from her thoughts. Looking up, she saw All Might standing there with his signature grin on his face.

"Ah, are you shy, Young Himari?" He asked her, looking down to see the notes she had on her notebook. She was quite the hard worker. Working on a lunch break even! How inspirational!

"Ah, no-no." She put her hands up in defense, "I'm just kind of a perfectionist, honestly." She wants every detail to be perfect. Every single one down to the smallest detail.

"It's amazing to see our young counselor trying her hardest to work hard already!" All Might grinned before leaning the table, "You should come sit with us, Young Himari. It'll give you time to meet some more of the staff." He gestured to empty seat next to his while Himari suddenly felt anxiety.

But….her session notes…

She needed to work…

Sighing, she knew she couldn't say no to All Might's beaming face. She gathered her stuff, moving over to sit down next to All Might.

"All Might, you're going to scare this girl to death." The man across from her had bandages all over him. His thick, long black hair came down past his shoulders. She couldn't see his face at all from the bandages, it seemed, "She had every intention of doing her work. She doesn't seem like to be in the spotlight." Not to mention the girl was probably the youngest member of the staff. She looked like she was around her early 20s.

"Oh please, she's just a little shy. She needs to get to know you all eventually." All Might replied with a firm shake of his head.

She should really add her two senses here, but she was nervous about saying the wrong things, "Ah, maybe I shouldn't…" She trailed off, looking from left to right, "Oh no, I don't want you guys to get the wrong idea. I want to interact with you. I hope you don't think I'm rude or anything…"

"See, All Might, you shot this girl's nerves up." The man with the bandages declared, staring at Himari. Beyond all these bandages was Pro Hero Eraserhead, also known as Aizawa Shota. The man who had taken such a heavy hit at the USJ. He decided to address this new girl himself, "Excuse All Might's overbearing personality. You weren't being rude at all. I'm Class 1-A's homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shota. You're a part of the staff at UA, huh?"

He was kind of intimidating to Himari. She didn't know what to say. However, she found something to say. Clearing her throat, she spoke to Aizawa, "Thank you. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made assumptions." She bowed in respect. She's heard of Eraserhead before. Not too much about him, but heard his name around, "Tsuki Himari, it's a pleasure to meet you, Aizawa."

"Ahhh Yo!" A man shouted behind her, causing her to nearly jump out of her seat, startled.

"Hizashi, could you please not startle her more." Aizawa was getting annoyed with all of this constant yelling. It was giving him a headache, "Besides, you're on lunch. Stop acting like you need to yell over everything even when you're not teaching."

"Ahhh, sorry, I didn't even notice her." Hizashi, also known as Present Mic scratched the back of his head, looking down at Himari, "Sorry about that." He patted her head, "You must be the new counselor of UA: I'm Yamada Hizashi, but I'm also known as Present Mic!" He let out a hand for her to shake and Himari took it, shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you. It's alright, it kind of goes with your alter ego pretty well." She chuckled warmly. He might've startled her, but he was pretty nice, it seemed.

"So, how's everything going?" Hizashi asked her, sitting in the seat to the left of her.

"Oh? It's going alright." Himari smiled at the blond, "UA's pretty...welcoming." She stated, looking away from him for a moment. She was still really nervous, but everyone here was so welcoming. It was really nice. It made her really start enjoying being around UA so far.

It was really hard to interact with strangers, but she's going to try her hardest.

"That's great!" Hizashi smiled, "I hope you enjoy your time here. With the Sports Festival coming up, you'll certainly have some fun during this time!" It was a crazy time to recruit someone, but thankfully, it was the good kind of crazy.

"Sports festival?" Himari was confused. She didn't even know about such things. She completely forgot that the Sports Festival was coming up.

"Yeah, it's a festival to show off the students' skills. So you better get excited!" Hizashi yelled while Himari covered her ears.

Eep, he was a little too loud. Guess she was going to have to get to it. She didn't want to be rude.

"Festival huh?" She took a sip of her water, "Sounds really nice I forgot that the Sports Festival is a thing."

"That's right, it's a good start for our first years to get recognize by their talents and their skills to become heroes." All Might added.

"Yeah, and I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of people that we don't see that often," Himari added, pointing her finger up halfway in the air. It was going to be exciting to watch all the students show off their potential. She would get to see more of them, not just the ones she will be working with one on one.

"Yes, there are many heroes that come in to help UA every once in a while with exercises we teach here." Aizawa added, "It's also our duty to protect the students if a situation arises."

Himari swallowed the anxiety that was in her throat, taking in those words once again. Could something like the USJ attack happen again? Could it be worse? Would they have to face those villains that attacked again?

"Oh? I'm aware, Aizawa." Himari told him, "I'm not the best at fighting, but I would protect them if I had to." She wasn't really an offensive fighter, but she definitely had skills to be a pro or else she wouldn't be.

"Oh, Himari." All Might began, "I wanted to ask you something, what's your hero name? I don't think I've heard you proclaim it yet." He was curious, he just knew her real name, not her hero name.

"My hero name is E-Schemer." She told him. She didn't even remember to give her hero name. Well, it had certainly been a while since she was actually E-Schemer that she hadn't even given out her hero name earlier, "It's been a while since I've gone by that name."

"Yes, I've heard you haven't been out in the battlefield in a long time." All Might knew that Himari hadn't been much of a front line hero, but she was going to have to address the students as her hero name, "Still, you may face yourself in a battle in order to protect the students one day. You must be prepared for the worst." His smile widens, "However, you're certainly not alone. You have the entire staff to rely upon as a teacher at UA."

Himari found that soothing, nodding at his words, smiling, "I appreciate such things."

"It's no problem, really." All Might stood from his seat, "I have to go for now, but it was a pleasure talking with you once again, Young Himari." He quickly left in a dust, leaving Himari confused.

"Does he always exit like that? Isn't he worry he's gonna run through a wall or something?" She blinked, trying to understand just how the hell someone that fast couldn't actually run into a wall or something.

"All Might might be a bit of an airhead, but he's the number one hero for a reason. Despite his constant need to be in the spotlight." Aizawa took a drink of his tea, "By the way, there's something I want to ask you, about my students you'll be counseling for the year." He set his cup of tea down, "How do you intend on helping them? It'll be hard for them to open up to you, especially Todoroki." Izuku was someone that would be way easier to open up than Todoroki.

"Ah, well," Himari began, taking a drink of her water, "It seems like I'd start asking them what they want to accomplish for the end of the year, what they want to accomplish for the first day, and then go from there." She handed Aizawa some of her notes, "This is all I had in mind. Izuku has a similar past of my own when it comes to bullying so it's a bit easier to do him. Todoroki on the other hand, his kind of trauma I've seen this secondhand when it comes to handling cases I've done in the past. It'll get difficult if I have to handle his father." She knew parents had a tendency to butt into other children's business.

"Do you have a plan for that?" Aizawa asked, reading her notes. Everything seemed good, but he didn't see anything about Endeavor on here at all, "Endevor is very intimidating to many pros. I wouldn't be surprised if you were uncomfortable around him with the knowledge you have on him."

"I've dealt with parents like him in the past. I might seem to be delicate, but I always go with what the children have to say over what their abusers might say. Although, it might get bad if Endeavor tries to request the counseling to be canceled, given his appearance in the public." Himari crosses her legs before resting a hand on her chin, "I've decided to play that part by ear, and I don't think Principal Nezu would actually let him quit it just to hide what he's done." Then again, she hadn't even met Endeavor at all. She had to anticipate what might happen when she meets him which is very possible now that he'll probably be at the Sports Festival.

"Just be careful." Aizawa told her, "If you set him off, it might cost your job…"

"I'm not worried about that. It takes a lot for me to get angry." Himari smiled, "But I appreciate your words, Aizawa."

"Well, if there's anything I can do to help, it's giving you advice on this, but if you're confident on handling this, I'll trust you on it." Aizawa got up from his seat, "I'll have to head to back now to teach my next class. It was good to meet you, Himari."

"Yes." Himari nodded at him, "It was a pleasure to meet you as well."

Aizawa walked away from Himari, knowing that she had the idea down. They would have to see how everything works out in the next few days. That would test Himari's skills as a whole.

XXXX

"Miss E-Schemer."

Himari looked up from her computer, looking over to see her first client had arrived. It was Midoriya Izuku. He was right on time, it seemed.

Himari gave him a small smile, motioning the student to have a seat, "Good afternoon, Izuku. It's good to meet you. I've heard some things about you."

Izuku gulped a bit, moving his gaze away from Himari, "Ah, I hope they weren't too hard…"

"Nonsense, Izuku, this is my job." Himari looked different now. Like she was in some kind of trance or something, "I've had my share of seeing life. Now, what do you want to accomplish with this counseling?"

Izuku didn't expect to be put on the spot instantly like this. He did write down a few ideas for what he wanted to accomplish, but he was still nervous. What if he ended up in a mental hospital from what he told Himari? "W-Well…" He looked away from her gave, clenching his hands together, "I want to be more confident in myself."

Himari typed a couple of words into her computer before looking at Izuku. "Okay, sounds like a great start to a goal. Anything else?"

"Well, I-I…" Izuku was so nervous that he felt like his entire body was on fire, "I want to handle things better."

"What do you mean by that, Izuku?" Himari asked, wondering what exactly that meant.

"I want to be able to handle situations I'm in a lot better than I've been." He told her with a much more brave face on now, "People always pick on me, but I've found a lot of good friends at UA. It's made me feel a lot better since I started here." He told her while Himari took more notes on her computer, "But I...I wanna get over all the bullying I've been dealing with, I wanna get over all of my faults because it'll make me a better hero in the end."

"That's quite bold of you." She smiled, chuckling at his determination. She could tell Izuku was a good kid. He got determination for a kid so timid and has been through a lot in his childhood. I was almost inspiring, "I think you'll get there, but it'll be small steps. You'll get frustrated often, and you'll think you won't get there, but things take time, Izuku. Just don't lose sight of the goals you've set for the year with me and your studies." She told him, "Now, what do you want to accomplish today?"

Izuku sighed, "Ah, I'm not sure, really. I guess I want to get a few of my issues declared." He told her and Himari nodded, typing the notes into her computer again.

"Good, good, now what are those issues?" She asked him.

"Um...well, I don't think I'm that confident because of some of the things I've gone through." He looked down at his hand and back to Himari. It was really hard to convey a lot of his thoughts through his voice too. Writing them, yes, but not speaking up about them, "I also think that I can't really convey my thoughts through speaking, jotting down my notes, muttering my notes to myself helps me too."

"Mmm hmm." She typed out more notes on there, continuing to have Izuku go on and on about his thoughts. Some of the things he's felt over the last few years, what's changed, and how he's been currently.

When the session ended, Himari had a good idea of what Izuku had. Looked like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a Major Depressive Disorder. It was a diagnosis on her end, but they had a long way to go with tackling some of these issues that he had in him, but she knew where he was at.

He also had some anxiety issues as well, she noted herself, going back to the research that she had to do with Nezu later. No information, just none on the handman. He still looked familiar to her and she couldn't get it out of her head either.

Wait...a decaying quirk? That's what he had?

What?

She remembered a boy that had some scars from a decaying quirk too, but…

That boy was dead. There wasn't a way to steal quirks, was there? According to the other notes she had on the case, the Nomu All Might fought in the USJ attack had multiple quirks, but how? How could a normal human handle that many quirks? People could only handle two quirks at once at that, was it. Kids like Todoroki could be born with two, but most of the time, the kid gets one or the other.

This was giving her a headache. There was someone that could give quirks out and take them? Was that really possible? Did that actually happen?

It had to, it was the only way something like Nomus could happen. She almost wanted to vomit in thinking about the people that didn't survive a quirk being passed on.

How could UA fight something like that and win? How could any of the pros fight that and win against someone like that?

Himari had come to the conclusion her long lost friend who had been dead for a long time now had lost his quirk a long time ago because of whoever had this quirk and passed it onto the handman. At least, that was her theory.

Memories hit her like a rock, remembering the white little boy from her memories. He'd been her first friend, the first person to get her out of her shell, the first person other than her grandparents to accept her as a whole. Their quirks had just developed too at the time, and he thought her quirk was cool.

He was the first push in her confidence.

However, it didn't matter if time had passed since that day, she could feel the guilt that had been twisted in her stomach every time she remembered her old friend. If she did more, even if she was young, she could've saved him.

Old wounds sometimes didn't go away. No matter what, they would come and find you eventually.

Himari sighed, hearing a knock on the door of her office. Her next session was about to begin.

In the course of the next session, Himari realized that the first word she describes of Todoroki Shouto was that he was stoic. Stoic in a way of hiding everything. Every time she had asked him a question, he would say yes or not to certain symptoms.

She could tell Todoroki didn't want to be here either. Either that, or he didn't think he needed the help. He was here because it had been a requirement. When she asked him what he had wanted to accomplish, he said that he hadn't wanted to be like his dad. A good idea, she noted to herself. It was a good goal. Although, Todoroki never said why he never used the part of his life side. According to her information, his quirk was half cold, half hot. Yet, she never saw him use his flames according to her records she has gotten of him.

As for the day, he had told her nothing.

It wasn't abnormal for new patients to not have a goal on where they stood on their mental health and what they had accomplished. Some people didn't know how to start, or they were just forced by their parents or the school to go. It was some things she had to note. Both of them would be coming back weekly so she just needed to give it more time for Todoroki to work with.

She had also come to terms that Izuku reminded her of her dead friend and Todoroki, reminded her of herself when she was his age. That stoic look of his felt like her old one when she had moved to this town a long while.

Now, it was time to go meet with Principal Nezu about the information she had. She was walking down to his office, "Okay so I have that there's probably a villian in the shadows that have taken quirks and can pass them on hence why the Nomus exists. As for the decaying villian, it seems that his quirk was probably given to him, but I don't have any proof of such things, but I know Tenko is dead so that has to be the right explanation."

The guy's name had been different too, she noted. His name isn't Tenko so it couldn't be her old friend based off of even if he was alive. She was clicking her pen along the way as well. She was nervous, but she thinks that she had very clear cut theories overall.

Still, this Shigaraki Tomura guy still rang familiar, and she wouldn't find such things out unless she got a better look at his face. She would have to bear that in mind. This meant she might have to play a key role in bringing him in. She swallowed, that quirk though. She didn't know if she could handle it being used against her. It might freak herself out, a villain, using a quirk of an old friend of hers. She didn't know if she could handle that as much as she wanted to admit it.

She opened the door to Principal Nezu's office, giving a smile and a small wave. Nezu nodded at her and she took a seat at the chair across from him.

"Himari, it's good to see you. How were their first sessions?" Nezu asked while Himari put a finger to her lips.

"Well, I'd say it was a step in the right direction." Himari responded, "I emailed my notes to you about them as well. Look at them whenever you get the chance." She told him.

Nezu nodded, "I certainly will, but tell me, what did you find out about the decaying villain?" He asked her, wanting more to talk about that.

She handed out her notes to him, "My apologies, I didn't expect to cross out so many notes." She was clicking her pen again, trying to soothe her nerves.

"Hmmm...I see." Nezu read her notes closely. It seems she's come to the conclusion that Shigaraki Tomura had his quirk passed onto him from a old friend, and even have reason to believe that there was someone higher than Tomura that had a quirk that was able to take quirks and pass them onto other people if he had wanted.

Interesting, she's certainly the perceptive type.

"Your old friend has the quirk that Shigaraki had?" Nezu asked while Himari nodded.

"It's just a theory, but it's the most likely point to assume. Tenko's quirk was decay, and he was reported of the dead in the incident I was in when I was a kid." Himari explained to him, "However, I think I'm right about the guy being higher up, able to steal and give quirks. DNA doesn't do that as far as I know." It wouldn't work, stealing someone's DNA doesn't give them the power to use a quirk.

"I think you're getting on a good route on this case." Nezu knew that she was perceptive. She was a smart girl, "I've come to the same logic as you about the guy as well. If we have to face him in battle…"

Himari swallowed, feeling a flicker of fear hitting her of the possibility of running into that man. That's someone she never wanted to tangle with ever, "I'm afraid of that the most, sir." A villain had that kind of quirk. It was terrifying, "Shigaraki Tomura still looks kind of familiar to me though. I don't know where, but I wouldn't be able to figure it out until I saw his face fully myself." She pointed out. It terrified her that she might have to face the guy who attacked the USJ a while back. He had her old friend's quirk.

"You think he looks familiar?" Nezu blinked at her words as Himari nodded slowly, clicking the pen faster, "Well, we'll have to have you out whenever he shows up again. I know you haven't faced a battle for a while, but you better be prepared, you may have to face him in a battle." Prepare for the worst, just in case she had to see something that she didn't like Tomura's quirk, "I know you don't wanna face that quirk because it belonged to your old friend, but you are the only one that could probably tell me his identity."

Himari clenched her fists, gritting her teeth. Poor Tenko's last experience had to have been getting his quirk taken forcefully before he died. That had to be painful. "I know…" She finally stopped clicking the pen, covering her face with her hands, "it'll be painful, but I'll try to help you as much as I can." She uncovered her face and looked at him, trying to keep herself together. It was hard when she knew her friend's fate, but it hurt so much more to learn that she couldn't save him. Even though she had been so close, she couldn't save him.

Some wounds don't heal with time. That is certainly true.

"I appreciate your help on this, Himari." Nezu smiled before handing her a phone number, "Call this number tomorrow night. He's a police officer that investigated the school after the attack. Letting him know the situation will help the authorities get closer and you'll probably have to go there with them when they find out what the League's next plain comes into order."

Himari swallowed her anxiety, nodding at him, "Okay, I'm glad to help you." She bowed before turning away to leave.

This journey was going to be hard. There's too much to accept at the moment, but she'll be okay. Somehow.

 **Thank you guys so much for your comments and favorites! I am very excited to write this story!** **Honestly, poor Himari. She literally has no idea what her old friend has become! Anyways, please review if you have any thoughts on this story and follow and favorite if you liked it! This is Reb signing off!**


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning rolled in, and Izuku was heading to class. He thought about his session with Himari from yesterday. When he was younger, he'd always thought he had something wrong with him, but he never really let it show. It was something that he just thought was...different from everyone else. That talk with E-Schemer showed him that he had a lot of work to do not only physically, but mentally as well.

Regardless, if this made him a better person and a better hero, he decided he was more than willing to continue his counseling with her. It felt...good to go so far, but he was still worried on the inside. Still worried about what might happen.

"Deku!" A familiar female voice called, causing him to suddenly jump, snapping out of his thoughts. He turned around to see Uraraka running over to him, waving to him.

"Oh? Uraraka!" Izuku smiled at her, giving a small wave.

Uraraka smiled at him, "Good morning! How did your session go with the new counselor?" She asked him, poking her head at him.

Izuku felt his face heating up, backing away from her, "Ah-ah, it was good, E-Schemer is super nice and kind. She seems like that, anyways." Deku could tell that she was pretty cool. He knew E-Schemer hadn't been a hero many people knew about, but he did. She did a lot on her debut and disappeared off the map.

"Oh? That's great." Uraraka smiled, "I've never heard about her until you said something about her. If you say she's nice and kind, I'll trust you on that." Not that she thought UA would have hired someone dangerous, but it was good to hear Izuku was in good care with his new counselling. She bet it could totally be nerve racking.

"Oh y-yeah." Izuku sighed, "But she hasn't been in a battle with heroes since a year after her debut when she was seventeen years old. Her quirk is pretty interesting too. It can manipulate emotions." He stated before he started muttering immediately to himself while he walked with Uraraka to their classroom, "With a quirk like hers, I'll probably not even know if she's helping me or when she's not without asking her. How am I supposed to know my progress if I can't even tell if she's trying to improve my progress by boosting my mood…"

"Deku!" Uraraka exclaimed, trying to snap him out of his muttering, "You're doing that thing again."

"Ah-ah…" Izuku blushed, covering his face before looking away from her, "Was-Was it bothering you?"

She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, "No, actually. Although, you never seem to know when you're muttering. Is it like a trance or something?" She let her arms relax at her sides, "It's actually pretty interesting that you have so much going through your mind."

Izuku was speechless. She...liked it? Could this be a way for him to make a move?

...Is this how flirting works? Is this how you get closer to a girl you liked? Is this…

"You're in my way, nerd." An all too familiar aggressive voice called, shoving Izuku to the side.

The guy who shoved him was none other than his old childhood friend Bakugou Katsuki. He could be a little more gentle and nice.

Izuku rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry, kaachan, but you didn't have to shove me…"

"Don't tell me what to do, you damn nerd!" Bakugou rolled his eyes before walking into the classroom, plopping into his seat.

 _Jeez_ , Uraraka thought, scratching the back of her head, _Why is he so harsh to Deku?_

In fact, why was he so harsh to everyone and even more harsh to Deku of all people? Was it because they used to be childhood friends?

"Hey good morning!" Toru greeted with a small wave of her gloves.

"Morning!" Kirishima waved, looking over at the three who just walked into the classroom, smiling at them, snapping over to where Bakugou was sitting at, "Bakugou, that really wasn't manly now…"

"You shut up, hedgehog hair!" Bakugou fumed.

"Hedgehog hair?" Kirishima blinked, glaring at Bakugou, "You're the one with the weird hair too!"

"The hell?" Bakugou charged up some of his quirk, about to fight Kirishima before he was suddenly hoisted up by some kind of cloth, "What the fuck?" He turned to see Aizawa standing there, glaring at the hot headed kid.

"Sit down, and quit arguing already. Class is about to start." Aizawa told him, unwrapping Bakugou from his grasp as he was about to begin class.

XXXX

Himari was checking up on her emails, looking over at everything that was supposed to be planned at the Sports Festival. Looks like she would be doing small jobs since she just joined the staff recently. It was perfectly okay with her. She wasn't one for the spotlight anyways. Announcing really wasn't her thing. In fact, public speaking really wasn't for her. She had a tendency to get anxiety from that.

She heard a knock on the door of her office before she looked over at the door, seeing Izuku's reflection on the door, "Come in." She called.

Izuku entered the room, sending the woman a small smile, "Hello, E-Schemer, I hope I'm not bothering you."

She turned over to look at him, smiling softly at him, "Ah, not at all, Izuku. Is everything alright?"

Izuku hesitated for a moment, wondering how to really word this question to her. He didn't want to be rude or belittle her skill, but he needed to know some things, "Uh-Uh, yes, everything is fine." Izuku reassured her, taking a deep breath, "I just wanted to ask you something, if that's okay."

"Don't be too worry on my input. What's up?" She asked, wondering that he's still trying to get used all of this counselling. It was perfectly normal. Still, she wondered what was all in his mind.

"I-I was wondering…" Izuku swallowed his anxiety, "if you could promise me not to use our quirk in our sessions? I want to get better in my own way."

Himari snickered a bit, "You don't have to worry about that, Izuku." She was surprised he even knew about her quirk. Not many people knew about it. Izuku knew a lot of heroes according to what she knew, "I wouldn't do that anyways. Besides, Principal Nezu doesn't want me to use my quirk when I'm with you during sessions." She told him, "Also, count me as surprised, not many people know about my quirk." She grinned, getting out of her seat to pat him on the head, "You really know your stuff, Izuku."

Izuku blushed in embarrassment before he smiled, "Oh yeah, I've gotten records of tons of heroes in the past. I've looked up to heroes since I was a kid. I've wanted to be one since I first saw that video about All Might's debut." He clenched his fists tightly, "I wanna be a hero just like him. To save people with a smile on my face."

Himari smiled, leaning to his level, "Ah, I think you'll do a good job on that. You got a lot of drive. Don't sell yourself short, got it? You're a strong boy, you've been through quite a lot. I know it's easier said than done, but you really have the resolve to get through a lot of things. Trust me, you won't be alone either. All the staff here at UA, including myself, will be here for you whenever you need assistance or advice."

Izuku felt his nerves relaxing quite a bit. He was happy to hear those words. Even though he was more than aware that it was true, it was still good to hear them outloud. He was starting to like Himari more and more. She wasn't that much older than him, and even might be the youngest staff member at UA, but she was just as good as all the others.

He nodded at her words and gave her a small wave before leaving the room. Himari smiled. She was starting to get attached to that kid. He was very bright, kind, and increasing in his confidence. She could already see some improvement in him slightly. It was only a little bit, but it was progress nonetheless.

She saw someone standing in her doorway. A blonde haired girl, dressed in a blue, white, and orange suit. Blue horns on her head as well.

"Excuse me," The woman began, "Could you show me where Principal Nezu's office is at? I'm afraid I'm a bit lost."

Himari nodded, "I'd be glad to." She smiled, tilting her head to the side, "Are you a new hero? I don't think I've seen you before."

The woman stared wide eyed at Himari. She didn't know her? "Huh? You don't know who I am?" She sighed, "Well, I am kind of new. My name's Mt. Lady. That's my hero name anyways." She offered a hand to shake, "And you're a new hero too?"

"Eh, nope. Just a hero who likes to be out of the spotlight." Himari rubbed the back of her head, "My hero name is E-Schemer, but my real name is Tsuki Himari." She accepted her hand, shaking it, "It's nice to meet you, Mt. Lady." She introduced herself.

"Ah, are you new at least to UA?" Mt. Lady asked her, wondering why she hadn't seen her around UA before. Then again, this was her first time being in UA.

"Yeah, actually, I just started recently. All Might gave me a tour so I know a bit about the area already, and I've been to Principal Nezu's office a couple of times before." She walked past Mt. Lady, motioning her to follow her.

Mt. Lady caught up with her, walking with her side by side now, "Ah, whoa, All Might gave you a tour? That's awesome! How is he like?" She asked, "I saw him when the sludge monster attack. I've always found him to be empowering, you know?"

Himari chuckled, "He definitely is empowering. He seems like one of those extroverts that want to adopt introverts and show them around and try to break them out of their shell." She should know, he had already done that to her, "But he's a great person up close too."

Sludge villain? This is what she gets for not being up to date with the news.

"Oh, that's awesome. I wanted to be like him in the spotlight." Although, maybe Mt. Lady took her first debut a little too far? She had been thinking about that for a while, "However, I think I hogged a little too much of the spotlight. Another hero I know, Kamui Woods, got screwed over his spotlight because I was trying to be too extra." She looked down at the white tile floor as they walked, "So, I wanna try to have the spotlight like All Might has now." She tried not to sexualize herself so much in the public too. Looking back, it seemed a bit childish to her, "I thought if I could use my looks and pull off a stunning welcome, I'd be able to get popular, and while I did, it really doesn't…" She hesitated, "feel right, you know?"

Himari nodded at her words, "Yeah, I understand what you mean. This society is so obsessed with having looks and spotlight, it makes the world seem like we have to be as extra as we could." Himari couldn't relate personally, but she could empathize with it. Even though she herself never wanted to be in the spotlight, she was able to understand that, "Don't worry, you don't have to do anything if you don't want to." If there was one thing she hated about society, it was trying to show women had to be extra to gain popularity.

"Ah, thank you," Mt. Lady smiled at her, "That was something I think I needed. Being a girl in this society is pretty rough, you know?"

"Yeah, it really is, but I hope you don't think yourself of being less for what you did. It's normal to be like this in the beginning. You make mistakes and work at them. Besides," Himari continued, walking up the stairs with her now, "even if you didn't regret that, it's your decision to be like that if you would've wanted to. I wouldn't of judged you for that."

"Oh?" Mt. Lady smiled at her, "You're really nice, Himari; I don't think a lot of people would agree with you on that one."

"Well, as long as you weren't being dangerous with it, I would respect your right to do anything." Himari had heard about the stories about some women going to do...really crazy things in order to get fame and money. Some heroes had it good. Other people, who couldn't be heroes due to complications, however, weren't so lucky.

At that point, they had arrived at the door to Principal Nezu's office. Himari looked up and smiled, "I don't know what you have to talk to him about, but I hope it goes well."

Himari was about to turn away to leave before Mt. Lady tried to reach her, "Hey wait." Mt. Lady called while Himari stopped dead in her tracks. She pulled out her phone, "Can I get your number, Himari?"

Himari blinked, surprised that Mt. Lady asked her for her number, "Oh, of course." She grabbed her phone and they exchanged numbers.

Mt Lady handed Himari her phone, "Girls like us have to stick together." She winked, "I'm glad I met you, Himari." She turned to go into the office.

Himari was feeling more welcomed at UA every single day. She was making friends with her colleagues and pro heroes that tend to help the school. She was feeling a lot more at peace.

She suddenly saw a text. It was from her Grandma again.

 _Just checking to see how you were adjusting at UA. Hope you're having a good day._

She smiled, deciding to reply to her Grandma's text.

 _Oh yeah, it's been great. I just made a friend._

She started walking back to her office, planning on making a visit to Daichi's place to see him. Her grandma texted her back just as soon as she made it down the stairs.

 _Awesome! You should introduce them to me sometime. You seem to be enjoying your new job._

She chuckled and typed her message back.

 _I'd love to! I want to get to know her first though! I love UA so far!_

Himari did really want to see her grandparents soon and tell them about everything that had been going on so far. She would have to find time once she adjusted to teaching at UA.

XXXX

Yawning fell from her lips as she walked around the rough part of the city, heading over to Daichi's house. It had been a long day, but she wanted to see the adorable boy that was her former client.

She noticed a familiar man in a hood, turning over to him. She recognized him; he was from the park a couple of days ago. What was his name again?

He touched her shoulder, recognizing her instantly, "Hey there, odd to see you running around here. You seeing that kid again?" He asked.

Dabi. That was his name.

"Oh? Yeah." She nodded firmly, "I haven't been able to visit in the last couple of days, but I got time today to do so." She smiled, "How have you been, Dabi?"

He snorted, "I didn't know you were going to ask that. About a little stranger like me." He chuckled to himself. This girl was interesting. Normally, people had been too intimidated by him to talk to him much. They would run away screaming because they saw his piercings or they would just storm off because he said not all heroes were good heroes, but this one, she actually listened to him, acknowledge him by his name he had been going by at the moment, and even talked to him a second time, "But I guess I can enlighten you, just doing my best to survive, honestly. How about you, Himari?" He asked, remembering her name from before. She definitely was going beyond all the others he had talked to before.

"Oh? I've been pretty great, enjoying my new job. I'm about to head over to see Daichi." She really couldn't stand in one place for too long, but she'll definitely need a day to herself tomorrow after work.

"New job, eh? Not babysitting the kid anymore, huh?" Dabi rested his hands in his pockets, glancing at her, "What kind of job? If you don't mind me asking, of course." He wanted to get to know this girl. Who would've thought?

"Ah, um, actually I'm a counselor at UA now." She told him, grinning.

He stared at her for a moment. So, this girl's a UA staff member, huh? Who would've thought someone as quiet and shy as her would actually become part of the staff, "Oh really?" He found himself grinning back at those words, "What made you decide on that one?"

"Oh? Well, it seemed like a pretty good offer." Himari rubbed the back of her head, "Principal Nezu actually looked into my records and figured I was a good choice for the job." She explained, "Besides, I've always wanted to help children. It's kind of my field, after all." She flipped her brown hair backwards, trying to get it away from her face.

Dabi chuckled at her words, "Can't say I can relate, but if that's your calling." He hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "You thought about what I said before?" He asked her, remembering what he had said to her, "Now that I know you're a hero, are you intending on rising above all those false heroes?"

Himari's smile faded for a moment, taking a deep breath. She was surprised he was talking about that again. How would she rise above them? Well, she thinks she has the right answer, "Well, I'd be the best hero I could be by helping students get over the dangers they would face in their stay at UA." She rested her hands at her side, gripping the bag she had in her hand filled with children's books tightly, "In a battle, if I was faced with one, I would rescue the people first. That's my first priority. I find the spotlight not to be my thing. I don't think being a hero is really needed for a spotlight, anyways. We do what we should do, fight to protect the people that we can, and try to rescue those that we can as well."

Well, she escalated his expectations again. This girl and him, while having different paths, had the same perspective of heroes. Well, what they should be anyways.

It was almost ironic that a girl like her had such a destructive quirk if used that way. She could push people to kill themselves or force them to surrender just by manipulating their emotions. She could scar her opponents without even touching them. That, was a dangerous quirk right there. Wounds could heal, but the mind could be damaged for years.

"You have a pretty dangerous quirk." He smirked at her, "It's almost ironic as someone as selfless as you has it, but I guess I should consider you having that quirk lucky." He turned her back to her, "Who knows what someone else might've done with that quirk."

Something struck Himari with his words. Her eyes, widening in shock and fear. She remembered the info she was digging on the case of the USJ attack, the possibility of someone taking quirks…

It terrified her. Could she ever become a target of that kind of man?

She certainly hoped not. She never wanted to meet that guy. Ever.

"What's wrong?" Dabi snapped her out of her thoughts, turning over to look at her terrified expression, "Did I scare you with such words? Surely, you're aware of that."

She was, and that was why she was so freaked out so much, "Y-Yeah, I am." She managed to choke out. She breathed in and breathed out, looking at him, relaxing her nerves, "I'm more than aware of that, but I wouldn't ever put pain on anyone like that. I promise you that much."

"I figured." Dabi chuckled before turning back away from her, "You don't seem like the kind of person to use your powers like that. You're interesting, Tsuki Himari. I have a feeling I'll be seeing you around again sometime."

And with that, he blended in with the crowd and disappeared.

Himari found Dabi to be interesting, odd, even as well. What made him want to know about heroes and her stance? Did he constantly ask strangers those questions?

Either way, she had a feeling that this wasn't the last time she was going to see Dabi. That, she was certain on.

XXXX

"Himari-sensei!"

The sudden hug that came from behind her when she entered the house startled her. Small arms, wrapped around her neck. Giggling came out of Daichi's lips, happy to see Himari around once again.

"It's good to see you, Daichi-kun." She ruffled the boys hair before glancing at his mom, "So, how's the new case worker?" She asked before she noticed the grim look on Natsuki's face. Her eyes widened.

"We haven't gotten one yet. They're in the process of finding one. However…" She looked down at the ground, "I'm going to have to tell you to leave now and not come back here, Himari."

Himari was taken aback by those words. Her eyes, widening in shock at her words. What? What was the meaning of this?

"You...what?" Himari asked her, not understanding why she had to leave. Daichi looked like he was about to cry.

"M-Mom, please, I don't want to lose Himari…" Daichi began before he was cut off by his mother.

"Daichi, this is for your own good. Heroes are only going to put us in danger with people like that Hero Killer on the loose. We need to stay away from them." Natsuki glared at Himari, "Don't make me repeat myself, Himari; get out of here this instant. You're no longer welcome here." It hurt her to do this, but it was the only way they wouldn't get caught by the Hero Killer's attacks and other villains' attacks as well.

Himari felt the tension could be cut with a knife in a matter of seconds. She was upset. People killed heroes every single day. Natsuki was making a mistake here. She was coddling her child, sheltering him to think that heroes were at fault for some deeds that the Hero Killer and other villains were dishing out. Not all heroes were like that, and Natsuki knew that so why was she trying to alienate her?

She felt her heart pound in her body, still frozen from the shock.

And that's when Natsuki grabbed Daichi off of Himari. She then proceeded to smack Himari across the face. Blood dripped from Himari's lip. Her cheek, stinging from the slap. She didn't say anything though. She just stood there in shock.

Daichi gasped at what his mother did. Tears threatened to pour out of his eyes, "Why did you do that, mommy?"

"Shut up, Daichi." She put him down, "Go to your room." She ordered him. She didn't want Daichi to see what was going to happen next. She'd force Himari to leave if she had to.

"But-"

"In. Your. Room." She glared at him, causing Daichi to look at Himari. Tears, poured from his eyes. He didn't want his mom to hurt Himari. He didn't want to lose Himari. She had done so much for him within the last year. Why did…

Why did he have to lose another person because of his mom being so protective of her?

"Daichi-" Natsuki began before Himari finally regained her composure only to be shoved into the couch, hitting the ground with a loud 'thud', "If you won't leave, I'll make you leave, Himari."

Himari couldn't though. She didn't want Natsuki to put her child in danger because she wouldn't accept help from a hero. Was she crazy? Did she think she could protect her child herself?

And yet, Himari couldn't find it in her to hit back. The conversation her and Dabi had not too long ago…

She couldn't just hit a civilian back. She couldn't do that, especially since it was someone she knew and cared about. She was going into the wrong direction with this. Natsuki was letting her fear get to her. She couldn't let that fear dictate her child's safety or her own. She was standing her ground because she didn't want her to do such a thing that might get her child killed.

Natsuki was getting pissed off now. She didn't want to hurt Himari, but she was leaving her with no other choice, "Don't make me do this. I don't want to hit you any further. Just...leave." She told her.

Himari stood to her feet. However, she wasn't budging at all. She knew if she threatened to call the police, it would stir. If she called the police, but Himari had a feeling she couldn't let herself do it.

"Himari…" Natsuki was gritting her teeth. She still wasn't leaving.

"Mommy, please…" Daichi tried to tell her, tugging her arm before she pulled her arm away from his grip, but he latched onto her leg, trying to make his mom stop trying to hurt Himari-sensei. She couldn't do this to her...she didn't deserve this.

"It's their fault that your father is dead!" Natsuki growled, tears begging to pour out of her eyes, causing Himari to be shocked.

What? Their father was…

Dead? Was he seriously dead? That was crazy, how could he be dead? Did the Hero Killer really kill their dad? Himari never met him before. At least, if memory serves her right, she never saw him at all face to face, only in pictures.

She had to stand to help them. She couldn't let her do this. Natsuki needed to realize what she was doing was nuts. She couldn't cut all contact off for heroes. What if they needed one in a time of need?

She doubted the Hero Killer would actually go after her anyways. She's rarely known to be a hero. Much less, she was even around to do anything aside from her own job.

"Stop." Himari stated calmly.

"Shut up…" Natsuki growled at her, "Don't try to change my mind on this…" She told her, "Just...leave…" She growled. Tears, streaming down her face.

Himari took a step forward, causing Natsuki to get even more mad and starting to sob at the same time.

"You don't have to do this." Himari told her calmly, "There isn't anything to worry about…"

"Shut up!" Natsuki grabbed a metal pole, hitting Himari with it in the right side, knocking her back to the ground once again.

There was blood splattered from that attack. She didn't want to fight her. She didn't want to do anything like that. This was grief that turned into revenge and anger. She knew she didn't want to fight back with Daichi being in the same room as them.

Why she hadn't been dodging? Well, it was mostly from the shock earlier. Her body didn't want to move either.

God, that one hurt even more. If she keeps going like this, she's going to have no other choice.

Natsuki raised the metal bar again, lifting it downwards. This time, Himari caught it with her right hand.

"Do you really think your husband would want you to beat me to a bloody pulp just to leave?" Himari's voice was still calm. That last hit snapped her out of her frozen state. Even though Natsuki was trying to beat her out of her own house, she was still calm, "Do you really think your husband would want you to shelter your own child?"

Natsuki's eyes widened at her words as Himari continued, "I know you're angry that you couldn't help him. I know that you're upset that the heroes couldn't save their lives. I get it, okay? I know how it feels to not be able to save someone." Images flashed from her childhood with Tenko. When she was rushing to find him, trying to look around from all the fire, the pro heroes dragging her away, telling her it was too dangerous to go back, realizing that he had died. She knew it all too well, "But the last thing you should do is blame the heroes or me for this. We can't save everyone, but we have to save people that are within our reach. That's why I didn't leave. If I did, I would be putting you in so much more danger. The Hero Killer may have killed your husband, but I won't let you isolate yourself like this. You can't just not accept help from every hero. Would you really rather die at the hands of someone just because of your pride? Would you really let Daichi die because of your husband's death? I didn't know him, but I know one thing: your husband would want you to carry on without him and be happy as you can. So please, stop telling me to leave because I won't leave. I'll help you guys out still no matter what."

Natsuki let go of the metal bar in her hands before dropping to her knees, "What have I done?" She panted, knowing fully well Himari was right. She was so calm, even after everything she just did to her, she was still calm. How could she not lose it right there? Anyone else would've.

And yet, she is grateful for that. Himari wanted her to be safe, not jeopardizing herself like this. She cried right into Himari's chest. She wanted her to be okay. She didn't want her to jeopardize their lives just because her husband died. She wanted them to keep going.

"You have to keep moving forward." Himari patted her back, "It'll be okay. You got some people to rely on in this loss, and I promise you, they'll catch the guy that did this to your husband." She held onto the woman who cried into her bloody white blouse, "Although, you did a number on me. I'm gonna probably have to clean myself up." She didn't feel like there was any broken bones at least.

Natsuki gasped, wiping the tears away from her eyes, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."

"It'll be okay, I've had worse." Himari smiled at her despite her pain. It was nothing she couldn't handle, "I'll just tell the doctors I fell down some stairs if I have to see them.." She just realized something…

She couldn't lie very well. Maybe she should call Recovery Girl? Someone that she could trust on helping her out in case she needed to get help? She wasn't really sure.

"You're not the best liar in the world, Himari." Natsuki told her. She still felt bad about hitting her like that. She felt bad for Daichi having to watch that as well.

Daichi suddenly wrapped his arms around Himari's body. Tears, falling from his eyes and onto Himari's messed up blouse. Himari smiled, patting his back, trying to soothe him.

"Natsuki, I think I'll probably clean myself up here. Is that alright?" She asked. She had a first aid kit with her and she could bandage her wounds, "Could you also let me borrow a shirt?" She asked while Natsuki nodded.

"Please, take as much time as you need." She bowed in respect, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't of attacked you like that." She should've known better than to cause so much trouble like that.

"It's okay, I'm just glad you stopped." Himari, even in that moment, couldn't of just defended herself. Not to her of all people. She also didn't want Daichi to see her fight back against his own mother.

XXXX

It had been a long day, but Himari had been able to clean herself up and bandage up her wounds. She played with Daichi for a bit before she finally left.

She yawned, walking back to her home, wondering back to what she had said to Dabi before about her stance on heroes. People would've thought she was crazy and should've fought back against her but that wouldn't of made her that much of a hero. She couldn't hurt someone more by fighting back because she was getting beaten around, but she thinks she definitely lived by those words she said to him.

She should be able to enjoy herself for the next couple of days. With the Sports Festival coming up, she was certain that she was going to enjoy it and relax. Hopefully, the festivities would make her feel a lot better.


	4. Chapter 4

The day of the Sports Festival had arrived, and Himari had arrived early to the events. The staff and many other pro heroes were enjoying the festivities. Himari found herself glued to her phone, trying to find Mt. Lady who sent her a text about meeting her and her friends over at the was actually going to have to head with the staff soon and sit with them to watch the festival.

She admitted, Hizashi made a valid point the other day. It was an exciting time to become a part of UA. This Sports Festival sounded like a fantastic celebration to get a break from the villains' attack. She heard people chatting around her about the other classes. Come to think of it, she hadn't really met any of the teachers yet or the other students. She was still a fresh staff member of UA.

She blinked as a few people surrounded her, being taken aback at the crowd, she gasped as it was a few media members.

"You're the new staff member at UA, right?" The dark brown hair woman asked, trying to put the mic to Himari's face.

Ah, she didn't expect to get this much attention. She wasn't used to this publicity. Maybe it was a bad idea to go today. Maybe she should've stayed home?

She totally should've stayed.

"Well, uh, I uh…" She put her hands up in defense, trying to keep her distance from the media.

"Oh look, she's shy." The news reporter told her cameraman, smiling, pointing a finger at Himari, "How adorable."

"Uh, wait I uh, really got to get somewhere." Himari turned, trying to smile at the group before she tried to get out of the way. More people shoved mics at her, however, and shouted a variety of questions that steamed from:

"How's teaching at UA?"

"Is it true you were hired to help Class 1-A out after the events of the USJ attack?"

"Are the students needing much mental help?"

"How much trauma did they go through?"

She felt like her head was about to explode from all these questions. Her nerves in her body were tightening from all the anxiety that was ready to burst out of her. She was getting very claustrophobic as well considering how many people were around her.

Suddenly, something wrapped around her body, dragging her away from the crowd of reporters. Himari gasped, surprised that someone had grabbed her before she turned to see Aizawa standing there, dropping her. She landed on her two feet.

"You looked like you needed a hand." Aizawa told her before he motioned her to follow him. The media just loved giving new staff attention, didn't they? Wasn't the first nor the last time Aizawa expected to see them there.

"Yeah, thanks." She nodded, running with him. She was grateful to him pulling her out of that situation. She didn't want to instigate anything with the media. That would've turned out bad, "Aren't you supposed to be with Present Mic for the announcements?"

"I am, but I'm just heading there now. Didn't think they would be able to sneak in so easily with the recent increase in security." Aizawa had always hated the media. More so than probably his fellow colleague does. They didn't need to play nice with the public. They were heroes, they should only do their own job and keep out of public eye.

"I hope we don't have to deal with another attack." Himari gulped at the possibility of dealing with the villains. She really didn't want her first month consisting of fighting villains.

"Don't worry, I doubt the villains would make another attack this soon." Aizawa told her before remembering something, "Say, aren't you supposed to be with the other teachers?" He wondered.

"Ah, yeah, but I made a friend a few days ago and she wanted to talk to me before the Sports Festival. Wanted me to meet a few of her friends as well. Don't worry, I'll get there in plenty of time." She reassured him, smiling at him. She wasn't too worried. It was about forty five minutes before the big festivities began.

"Don't get yourself caught in too much trouble with the media." He told her, sighing. He wanted to ask how the sessions were going, but he would have to wait til later after the festival, "I'll see you after the festival. If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you about your sessions with my students." He told her and possibly another addition as well now that he thought of it.

"Oh, that's not a problem, at all." Himari was a little worried that maybe she asked him a little too personal questions or maybe made them uncomfortable. Or Aizawa was just making sure things were going well.

Aizawa nodded before he ran off, heading to meet with Present Mic to be an announcer for the festival.

Himari sighed and looked at her phone to see there was a text from Yu.

 _We're standing at the concessions. Just waiting for you._

Himari typed her message out to Mt. Lady and sent it.

 _Okay! I'll be right there!_

XXXX

The dark room of the place where the world's former greatest villain was grim. Many people would be intimidated by such things. However, Kurogiri and Tomura were of alliance with such a powerful force. There was nothing them to worry about for if All For One was here and allied with them.

"Tomura, be sure to pay attention to the Sports Festival." All For One instructed his successor, wanting him to see the competition that had yet to be shown, "You never know who exactly will be a threat to you in the future."

Tomura scoffed, rolling his eyes, "I think I can handle a couple of kids." He reassured him. All For One underestimated him, it seemed. At least, that's what he thought. He wanted to stop being treated like a kid. He wanted to get farther more and more with his goal of killing the Symbol of Peace.

"There's also some new faces in UA as well." All For One's lips curled into a smirk at the sight of the girl with long brown hair and brown eyes being questioned by the media. He recognized that woman. She was a part of the incident that happened in Tomura's town. She was all grown up now, it seemed. He remembered seeing her getting dragged away from the scene by the heroes. What a shame. She was even screaming Tomura's dead name.

He would keep such knowledge of her a secret for now. He was aware they were destined to meet eventually and he, would look forward to Tomura's increase of hatred for the heroes. The poor boy, having to deal with the girl that he was once friends with on the other side.

Tomura glanced at the girl that was on the screen. His eyes, now narrowing in interest. This girl, she looked familiar to him somehow. He couldn't point his finger on it, but she was familiar. He didn't know from where, but…

Wait, he remembered something. This girl...was she…

This couldn't be true. It's not her. She died. She died in that horrible incident just like most people did. No one came to save her just like him and while he was lucky, she paid the ultimate price.

Tomura was getting angry, boiling with hatred. His fists clenched tightly. His only friend in life, gone. Just because of those _damn_ heroes.

All for One could feel his hatred, his anger, boiling in his body. Yes, it was showing, but was Tomura truly aware that was his dear friend? Or was he in denial?

Oh yes, he had to be. His heart couldn't fathom that she was on the same side as All Might. The very being he hated the most was allied with his old friend. He was certainly looking forward to what Tomura would do when they would reunite. How much hatred to the heroes would he have when his old friend was not only alive, but standing with the heroes.

That could not be her. Tomura was losing his mind. That, was a fake. He would kill those damn heroes for this. How dare they mock him like this?!

"Tomura, you're building with hatred." All For One looked over at him, watching the screen go away from Tomura's old friend to the other festivities, "Is something the matter?"

"She looks like…" He gritted his teeth, clenching his fists even tighter. What was her name? "she looks like Himari…" He remembered her name. Years and years of not remembering her, thinking of her to be gone, and yet, someone has the audacity to look like _her_ , "She's dead though, lost in the hell of that night. I'll tear her apart for even looking like her." he growled. He would do so, and he would be the one to do it. That damn heroes.

Denial, that confirmed it. All for One chuckled to himself. Yes, he was certainly, in denial. His poor student, "Tomura, if she's at UA, then you'll certainly get your chance." He smirked wickedly. He was excited to see how that encounter will make him grow.

XXXX

"Himari!"

She turned to see Yu, also known as Mt. Lady running over to her along with two others. The guy looked like his entire body was coated in wood. The other, was a tall man with a big chin. He wore large headband with a yellow and black caution patterns. His shirt only covers his arms, leaving most of his torso and abs visible. On each of his wrists, two heavy metal bracelets with the same color pattern matched with his headband and belt with his blue pants to match his shirt.

"Oh, hey Yu." She smiled, waving at her, walking a few steps forward towards them, tugging on her white and purple armbands feeling a little nervous, "These are your friends, I take it?"

"You must be the girl that just joined UA as a staff member." The wooden one crossed his arms across his chest, "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Kamui Woods." He offered a hand out for her to shake.

"Nice to meet you, I'm E-Schemer, but my real name is Tsuki Himari." She shook his hand before looking up at the tall man.

"I'm Death Arms. It's a pleasure to meet you, E-Schemer." From the looks of it, she was actually a decent person. He wouldn't expect anything less from UA, "Counselor, huh? Good, you can keep her in line then along with those kids at UA." He jabbed a finger at Mt. Lady who was eating something from the concessions, "She tried to use her looks to get free food."

Himari blinked before sighing, looking over at Mt. Lady, "Are you crazy? You said you wouldn't do stuff like that…"

"Ah…" Mt. Lady scratched her cheek, smiling nervously, "So sorry, it won't happen again. I promise you, Himari." It was such a bad habit for her to do that. She needed to break it, but she knew it was a hard habit to break.

"Good, I'll be holding you to that." Himari smiled, nodding at her words firmly.

"So, you hear to scope out potential, E-Schemer?" Death Arms asked her while she shook her head.

Her eyes widened at her words,"Ah, not really, I'm only really hear to support my clients." She blushed, rubbing the back of her head nervously. She just wanted to support her clients and staff too.

"That's pretty adorable. You got so much drive, Himari-chan." Mt. Lady clapped her hands together, "You're already such a great counselor, girl." She should really start being more confident in herself. She shook her shoulders with excitement.

Oh god, now she was going to get flustered from that. Mt. Lady was way too kind.

"Ah, you're too kind, Mt. Lady." Himari covered her face with her hands, looking away from Mt. Lady and her friends.

"Anyways," Himari sighed, "I gotta go sit with the other staff real soon, but I'm really glad you asked me to meet you here." She smiled, "And you two seem pretty cool, honestly." She tilted her head to the side, "You guys seem like really good friends if you're trying to get another friend to watch out for her." She rubbed the back of her head, chuckling warmly.

"Well yeah, she can't be doing that to get whatever she wants." Kamui told her, slamming his hand to his forehead.

"Anyway, you shouldn't keep your staff waiting, you should go to them." Death Arms told her, "I hope to see you around though."

A firm nod was given to them, "Sure thing." She grinned before starting to run, "I'll see you guys soon!" She turned to wave before continuing to run towards where she was supposed to sit at the stands.

It took her a bit. The area was super big that it was really hard to keep track. She was getting lost and eventually, she found herself out of breath. Great way to start off first impressions with her fellow staff members.

She sighed, turning to a corner when she nearly ran into someone in the halls, "Ah!" She gasped, panting, "I'm so sorry!" She yelped before realizing who exactly she just ran into.

It was the number two hero Endeavor. Uh oh…

"Eep!" She shrieked, feeling herself immediately wanting to run away, "Ah, so sorry again. I didn't mean to bother you, Endeavor." She was rushing to get to the staff when Endeavor's voice bellow in the hallway.

"Wait." Endeavor called, noticing he had caught her attention and continued, "I was actually looking for you." The hell was with this girl? She was UA's new staff member wasn't she? And she was seeing Shouto for sessions. That's what he had wanted to see her about. This was the girl? The description and picture he saw of her fit, anyways.

Himari stopped in her tracks. Her embarrassed reaction turned to serious in a matter of mere moments, turning to look at him, sighing. What could he have been wanting to talk about with her of all people? She had a feeling she knew what it was though. Had it been about Shouto?

It was like the woman he had just ran into was completely different now. His eyes, narrowed at her as her expression had grown from embarassed to serious in a matter of seconds, "I didn't expect the new counselor to get herself so late to the festivities. However, that isn't here what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm not here to scold you." His expression was stoic, many people had been intimidated by it before, "You're the one giving Shouto sessions for his mental health." He pointed out, noticing her fists were clenched now and she wasn't even fazed by his stoic expression. She was brave, he noted. That fragile girl from moments ago was no longer there. She was like a whole other person now.

"Yeah, I am." Came the firm nod and bold voice that rarely anyone had heard from her. Only to those that she might have to get confrontational to.

"Then maybe you can get something through his head for me? As his parent, I do have a say in his counselling, do I not?" He questioned It was as if he was the one that got to call the shots here in this situation.

He was arrogant. Himari mentally nodded to herself finding herself gritting her teeth. She didn't technically have to do anything in her sessions according to the parents. Just what the standards were from Principal Nezu was what she had to answer to. He had no control of such things.

Still, she shouldn't be rude in this position. The last thing UA needed was some issues from the number two hero. She was here representing the staff of UA, not herself. It would've been different if he approached her outside of her job. Was it really true? Did he seriously…

She could not let herself get angry, not in a position like this.

"Go ahead, then." She told him, finally cracking her voice out at his words.

"I would like you to show him the reason why he is here. The reason why he must go on as a hero. To strive to be stronger than All Might, that's his destiny, his origin. Remind him." He told her before he started to walk away.

Sometimes, the job of someone working in the mental health field was not a kind one. This was one of those rare cases as well. When her kindness was so big that she would rock mountains to help her clients, but alas, she could not in some circumstances like this.

"Wait." She said calmly, turning over to look at him, "Endeavor, while it is true you are Shouto's father, he is not you." She told him, "He has every reason to walk his path, and if it is to strive from the path you want from him, that's perfectly okay." She knew what this could mean, but if she didn't do what Endeavor said, she could take the blame. Nezu and the other staff members trusted her to do the right thing. He didn't get to order her around so willingly.

She had to stand her ground, and tell him how things worked according to her own regulations.

"You, unfortunately, don't get to order me about my regulations." She sighed heavily, "That title belongs to the other staff members of UA."

She refused to let her fragileness let her be taken advantage of. She would not let her kindness be treated as a weakness.

"Don't lecture me about that." Endeavor told her firmly, looking back at her, "Despite his rebellious streak, Shouto will definitely go back to his ways regardless. You underestimate the power he has to follow on the path he walks." There was no need for him to really intervene in that. His leash was so tight, it wouldn't reach his own path. This girl was dreaming if it wasn't going to budge, "If that's the case, and it is, you won't be able to do a damn thing."

They would see about that. She watched Endeavor leaving the hallway. She knew Shouto didn't want to walk the path his father did. It was filled with pride, far too much of it to the point that it blinded him. It blinded him so much that he hurt the people he dare call his family, but Himari knew Shouto would prove him wrong, and the moment he does, she will be very, very proud of him.

Still, that kind of interaction could've gone south if she would've said the wrong thing. She did a good job keeping herself together. At least, that's what she thought. Her anxiety had increased since that confrontation. She was panting, low and heavy. She was feeling the sensation of what if he did something to hurt her, but she stood her ground just fine. She still felt the sensation of standing up to someone like him.

It was...something she wouldn't of done if it wasn't one of her clients or someone she deeply cared about.

"Hey, Himari."

Himari jumped, turning to see a familiar hero approaching her. She hadn't met them yet, but she seen him on the news in the USJ incident. This was one of the rescue heroes.

Thirteen.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you jump." Thirteen told her before she put her right hand up in defense.

"Ah, that's fine. I guess I really don't know the area well. Gosh, this is so embarrassing, you know? I should've asked for better directions then maybe I wouldn't of been late. Aizawa is going to totally kill me…" Himari started rambling on and on about her mistake, causing Thirteen to sigh at the woman.

"Ah, it's-it's perfectly fine. I was lost too when I started working at UA too." Thirteen tried to reassure E-Schemer, "Don't worry you're not in any kind of trouble. All Might started to worry that you weren't there on time, so that's why he asked me to come and check up on you."

"Oh? I'm sorry for worrying you all." She bowed in respect to them, "I've heard of you, Thirteen, it's nice to meet you in person."

They nodded, gesturing her to follow them, walking towards where the other teachers and staff were sitting at, "I've heard of you too, E-Schemer. You've done some good things for UA so far. Are you enjoying it here?" They turned to look at her.

She smiled and nodded at their words, "Oh yeah, it's splendid." She replied, "I've really enjoyed the environment a lot."

Thirteen chuckled at her energy. It seemed that she was really enjoying herself despite she had been so lost in the area.

They continued to walk before they reached the stands of where the other teachers were at. Some of them looked familiar to her while others didn't. In fact, most of them didn't even look familiar to her. She noticed one of the seats were empty and decided to sit at the first one at the corner. She noticed all the students of the first year coming out of the stands. She was excited to see them get going. She wanted to know how they would do.

She was super focused on this. She was super excited to see what they all could do. It was a great time, for sure.

The rest of the staff looked very focus on watching the students prepare for their first challenge. She wasn't quite aware of the other classes, but just because they weren't 1-A didn't mean they would be easy to deal with. The Hero Course, according to what she had heard at UA, was a very competitive field even after the classes were chosen. Heroes from the other courses would want to hit the chance of transfering to Class 1-A. The Sports Festival was a test for such things which made it all the more reason for it to be more at stake.

Talk about a ton of pressure, but that was kind of the hero society they lived in. Some people didn't get what they wanted in life.

She had watched the first round of the Sports Festival of Class 1-A, shocked at the results of her two clients: Izuku and Shouto. They were incredible. They both were on their own way to becoming strong heroes. Their determination to be the heroes they wanted to be was inspirational. She remembered the sessions she had before the Sports Festival. How determined they both would be, and how they wanted to pursue their motivations. Many people didn't understand why Shouto didn't use his flames, but Himari had dropped that question to him before the Sports Festival. His words were still in her mind.

" _I don't use my left side because it's too much of a reminder of my father. I want to be able to win the Sports Festival without using his power. That way, he'll know I won't have to use his power to be strong."_

It wasn't a response she really thought was the best mindset. Sure, his dad had fire powers, but they weren't a stepping stone path to be like him. She respected his decision nonetheless. Endeavor said that Shoto would go back to him eventually, but that, was far wrong. It wouldn't be, the kid's stubborn about not doing that in the slightest. She was aware her words that she said to Endeavor would be the truth and while she had been super intimidated by him, she was glad she spoke about such things. She was glad she stood her ground and frankly, this wasn't how she usually was, but she was excited to see Shoto prove his father so wrong. Whether or not it was in his own way, or he changes his own way of handling the situation.

Izuku's quick thinking and setting himself up for a strategy that was quite shocking. The boy was definitely brillant. Not revealing his quirk so early was definitely a good strategy. The rest of the contestants had no idea what Izuku's quirk was and since he took first place, he was definitely going to be a target for the next round. She wondered though, she wasn't actually sure what his quirk was. In the last couple of weeks of sessions, she still hadn't asked him about that yet. Well, not that she really needed too since she's just supposed to counseling him. In any cases, she shouldn't bring it up if he hadn't wanted to.

It really wasn't her place anyways. As far as she was concerned, she really shouldn't know about Izuku's quirk.

Anyways, she got so deep in thought that the second match had started. Looking like they were ready. A Cavalry Battle, huh? It seemed like it was going like the entrance exam with the points bracket.

Well, it looks like they would have to be ready. Either way, she was certain her clients were going to be giving it their best. She was torn on who she wanted to win, but she shouldn't play favorites either.

Either way, this would get interesting from here.


	5. Chapter 5

The town had been pretty quiet since the Sports festival started. However, there were many people that were outside in the park also watching from the big screen in one of the tall buildings. Many people stood outside of the park, near the streets, getting the details of the Sports Festival. Many people couldn't take their eyes off the Cavalry Battle taking place. It was so intense, and it really showed off the other students' powers and abilities.

Daichi looked over at the screen, seeing that Todoroki had won the Cavalry Battle in the second challenge of the Sports Festival. He was in awe at all these students. Himari knew them? That was crazy. He needed to get every single one of their autographs. He couldn't wait to be a hero like them.

It felt so good to look to watch this where he was sitting on the swings. Natsuki was sitting on the bench, watching the Sports Festival as she was taking a drink of her coffee, savoring the taste of carmel and vanilla. It was an odd mix, but she had always enjoyed it.

She knew they needed to head to Hosu to visit her sister. So they would have to leave soon. She looked at the time. It was still pretty early, and Himari was going to be meeting them after the Sports Festival. They had to prepare some things for the party, considering it was her nephew's birthday.

"Did you see that? My old teacher knows those students." Daichi pointed the finger at the screen showing Todoroki on the screen followed by Bakugou and many other students of Class 1-A and 1-B. He ran over the the monkey bars, climbing up the latter.

"You serious?" One of the small kids asked. She had messy short blond hair and green eyes, wearing blue overalls and a pink t-shirt.

"Yeah, yeah. She even works at UA now. It's so cool." Daichi swung on the monkey bars, kicking his feet forward and back before landing on the woodchips below him. He landed on his feet before looking up at the girl he had only just befriended today.

"No way! I don't believe that." She shook her head, pouting.

Daichi snapped his fingers, "Yes, she did, she even met All Might. Isn't that so cool?"

"I don't believe you." The girl rolled her eyes at him.

"It's true!" Daichi stomped his foot in the woodchips, beginning to argue with the girl.

Natsuki laughed at the two that were arguing with each other. He was so passionate that Himari met All Might and was working at UA as a counselor. It was hard to tell he really missed having her around on a near daily basis.

They should be getting going though. They had things to prepare.

"Daichi, we have to go." She ordered. However, it seemed like the two children were still yelling at each other so loudly that they didn't hear. Natsuki sighed, before deciding to pull out her whistle, blowing it. It caused the two kids to cover their ears at how loud it was.

"Daichi, let's go. We gotta go see Aunt Naomi and your cousin Akira."

"Awwww!" Daichi sighed before looking at the girl, pointing a finger at her, "Next time, I'll introduce her to you, and she can tell you." He stuck his tongue at her, walking with Natsuki to the train station.

They had been walking down the road for a while before she suddenly looked over at her phone for a moment to look at the time. It was almost noon, meaning they only had fifteen minutes to get there.

"Looks like we're a little behind." Natsuki sighed. They would still get there in time, at least, but she wasn't going to be able to see the rest of the Sports Festival. She at least saw Himari on there before she got Daichi up this morning. To think the counselor of UA had a ton of stagefright was pretty amusing to her, "But don't worry, we'll make it there just fine."

XXXX

Himari looked at the results of the first round, seeing that Midoriya had moved onto the next round along with Todoroki, Iida, Shiozaki, Kirishima, and Bakugou. Her two students had made it; they had made it to the next round. Himari couldn't help but smiled. Izuku's comeback impressed and surprised her. He was certainly a crazy kid. Todoroki barely had to try in his battle from the looks of it.

This made her happy. They were both giving it their all, but they had to face each other soon. Himari decided to leave her seat to walk over to where the students were at, wanting to talk to her two clients before their match.

She approached the area before noticing Todoroki coming out of one of the rooms a few feet away from her. He looked over at her before speaking, "E-Schemer, shouldn't you be with the other teachers?"

"I was, but I was wanting to see you before your match with Izuku." Himari smiled at him, "So, how do you feel? Do you still feel the same way you told me before the Sports Festival?" She asked him.

He nodded firmly, "I do. What? Did my father try to brainwash you into lecturing me?" He didn't want his father getting involved in the picture. Himari wasn't going to believe him right? No, she told him before she respected any decision he had made.

Himari sighed, "No, actually, he talked to me, but I said that you could create the path you wanted and not him." She knew how capable he was; how stubborn he was about not following in his father's footsteps, "Are you confident you can beat Izuku without having to use your fire?"

"Completely." He told her without a second of hesitation, "He's strong physically but he can't hit me if he can't reach me." That was his strategy anyways, "I told you I don't intend on using my left side. I won't become like him."

Himari sighed, resting a hand on her hip, "I had a feeling you would say that, but don't think for a second the left side of you isn't you. You may have something similar to your dad, but that doesn't mean it's his. That power you have in you is your own, Shouto. No one else's, not even your father's." She had a feeling that he wouldn't listen to her, but if she could get through to him, at least a little, that was all that mattered to her.

"But...my mother…" Shouto was thrown off by Himari's words. That...didn't make any sense to him though. If it wasn't truly a reflection of his own powers, then his mom wouldn't describe his left side as unbearable. She wouldn't of poured boiling water on his face if it didn't reflect his father. He couldn't listen to her words as logical as they might be.

"Shouto, if your decision is to not use that side, I will respect that decision. I just wanted to give you my perspective and my thoughts on your decision of not using that side of yours." Himari watched him walk past her, taking a few steps before he turned to her again.

"I appreciate that you respect my decisions, E-Schemer." He was happy someone understood his perspective even though she was trying to tell him his left side wasn't like his father, and he couldn't bring himself to believe that, "but I have full intention to go through with this." He needed to break himself from his father fully, "I have to get going." He told her before walking out to go into the area for his match.

"You can make your own path, Shouto." She told him, unaware if he actually heard him or not. She hoped she did as she watched him disappear into the arena.

It seemed that he was still going it, but Himari couldn't help but appreciated that he thanked her. In fact, this conversation that they had was the first time Shouto had really opened up to her. She was happy; that meant she was making progress with him and he was starting to trust her more. That really made her happy.

She looked at her phone to see a text from Natsuki.

 _Letting you know I just boarded the train to Hosu. I'll see you soon._

She smiled, typing back:

 _Let me know when you get there okay? Hosu's been pretty dangerous as of recent._

After a moment, she turned, walking back to where she was sitting beforehand. She felt her phone buzzed again, ignoring it until she returned to her seat, seeing Izuku and Shouto staring at each other in the ring. She was a little worried about Daichi and Natsuki. Maybe she should've miss the Sports Festival so she could make sure they got there safe. Maybe she was worrying too much? Yeah, that was totally it.

She opened her phone up again to see Natsuki's text:

 _I will. I hope you're enjoying the Sports Festival._

Himari always had a tendency to worry too much about other people, but she never thought it was particularly a bad thing. It just showed she cared a lot about other people. She didn't think it was a bad thing at all.

They'll be okay, she'll just stay til the match with Izuku and Shouto is over then she could go. Aizawa and her could talk at another time.

XXXX

About an hour later, Natsuki was getting food and other utensils together for the party tonight,

"So, I heard Daichi's former caseworker is a part of UA now." A older woman stepped out of the kitchen for a moment. Her red hair was tied in a ponytail. She had on a pale apron and a pink dress on as well as some slippers.

"Yes, Daichi can't stop gushing about her." Natsuki chuckled, putting a case of cupcakes down beside her, "He's so happy that it's almost like he isn't sad about not seeing her all the time anymore."

The woman chuckled, "It must be cool to gush and gush about her knowing All Might, the world's Symbol of Peace himself." The redhead had a few utensils in her hands, setting them with the food she picked out for the party on the white table before her.

"Heh, yeah, he kept arguing with a little girl earlier this morning about it, Naomi." Natsuki chuckled back at her sister's words. It was nice getting to catch up with her. Especially after not being able to see her for so long. It was good to catch up, but Hosu made her weary, very weary. The very man that killed her husband was running around here. At first, she was hesitant to take Daichi over here, and even more so worried for her own sister's safety. However, the occurances hadn't been happening in this side of the city and there were more police officers out and about at the moment. That had kept her mind at ease. Besides, if he was only targeting heroes, they were fine.

Maybe she had been getting paranoid about such things. Crime could happen anywhere, anytime. She wasn't going to let fear stop her from her enjoying some time off and enjoy her nephew's birthday.

"Oh boy, that certainly sounds like Daichi defending his favorite caseworker." Naomi couldn't help but let out a small laugh, putting her hand on her little sister's shoulder, "You seem a little tense, Natsuki. Is everything alright?"

Natsuki sighed, "Sorry, it's nothing. Hosu's just been crazy and I've been overthinking everything again. I can't help but think about it. That man...who's been killing heroes…" Natsuki looked down on the ground and clenched her fists, "He's the reason why Daichi won't live to really know his dad, experience the good things in life with him. Hosu itself put me in a bad state just coming here, but I endured it so I can see Daichi become even happier, and so I could see you." She smiled, looking up to her. Tears were begging to fall out of her eyes before embracing Naomi.

Naomi was shocked for a moment before she hugged her back, patting her back, "It's okay, I understand your pain. I'm glad you came. You really made Akira's day coming here. You really, really did." She pulled away before patting her shoulder, "Now come on, we got a party to plan."

Naomi's words really did help her. She was glad she decided to go to Hosu now. It was good to come and visit after everything that has happened.

XXXX

Meanwhile, Daichi and Akira were playing around outside. They were playing catch. They were told to just stay in the yard for now. They were bored though, and Daichi never really got to see some of Hosu, and he really wanted to go see the city. He wonders if Himari could take him around real soon? He hoped so.

"Hey, are you doing okay Daichi?" Akira asked, throwing the ball to him, "You seem pretty out of it."

At that moment, the ball bounced away from Daichi and dropped into the street. Daichi ran over to grab it prior throwing it over to him.

"Am not!" Daichi pouted, stomping his feet onto the ground, crossing his arms across his chest, "You just threw the ball too fast."

"Yeah sure." Akira rolled his eyes, catching the ball, "I'll believe that when I see it." He was getting bored, and he knows they were told to stay in the yard, but he really wanted a bit of a walk. He put the ball to his waist, smiling, "Hey, why don't we get a walk going before everyone shows up. I haven't been out that much lately."

"But mommy might get mad at us..." Daichi began saying before Akira cut him off, smirking.

"Heh, she won't if we come back here right away. Don't be such a baby now…." Akira rolled his eyes, sticking his tongue out at the boy, walking away from him.

"Hey! I'm not afraid!" Daichi snapped at him, sprinting into a run to catch up with his older cousin. There was only a two year difference with the both of them.

"Yeah, yeah, sure." Akira remarked sarcastically, grinning at his younger cousin that had caught up to him, "So there's this cool park a block or two down. We can hang there for a bit and come right back."

"Oooo a park? I haven't seen other parks around before. I wonder if it'll be just as cool as my playground. Maybe they'll be a big tire swing or something…" Daichi continued to babble along the way before Akira cut him off.

"Ah, don't babble too much. I got a sweet shortcut too that I use whenever I sneak over to the park." Akira gestured to the alleyway they were now next too, causing Daichi's eyes to widened.

But he wasn't shocked at that. He heard someone groaning in pain in the alleyway. Akira had to have heard that too right? It wasn't just him, right?

Could it have been his mind playing tricks on him?

"Why the long face, Daichi?" Akira looked over at him, unaware of what was really going on in the alleyway before him. He gestured to follow him, stepping into the alleyway.

Daichi gulped, nodding at his gesture, stepping into the alleyway as well. It felt okay so far, but something about this made his blood run cold. He was afraid, afraid that they were walking into something that was far too great for them.

He tried to calm his nerves down, do anything to make him feel like he was okay, but he couldn't. Something wasn't right.

Akira took another couple of steps into the alleyway until he stepped into something. He thought it was water at first, but then, he saw a trail of blood. His eyes widened, looking at a man in a suit who looked like he was close to death.

That's not where his heart completely sank though. There was a man standing a few feet away from him. His pupiless eyes stared right into his very soul and his cousin's as well. He thought his life flashed before his very eyes. What felt like minutes was actually moments.

That's when he completely sank.

The man was intimidating. Tall, muscular to add to his intimidating gaze. He would even be intimidating to pros. He sported a dark combat suit, plated with metal armor across his body to holster his weapons. The torso is sleeveless; the bandages around his arms covered most of the skin. He bared long black wristbands and a watch on his left arm. His knees are protected with metal pads and the costume is completed with black, steel boots. His signature blood-red scarf and matching headband, as well as the tattered cloth he wears around his face as a mask showed him to be far from friendly.

The man sighed heavily, turning to look over at the two children who had stumbled upon his handiwork, "I was hoping that people wouldn't stumbleupon this." They looked far too young to give out a proper message to the public. Much less, to be really any of a threat.

Silence fell as the two children were speechless at the sight of the man before them. His single stare froze them in place. They thought they had saw their deaths instantly. However, they were deep in fear, trying their hardest not to throw up at the sight of the bloodshed on the suit of armor that was bleeding out in front of them. Something told Akira to use his quirk, but he couldn't bring himself to. He was supposed to be the elder cousin. He needed to protect Daichi from this monster, but he couldn't. He was terrified of even running at this point, wondering what could happen if he did. He couldn't scream or utter a word. He just stood there, while Daichi clinged onto him for dear life. Tears, were streaming down his face.

"This isn't a place for you, children." Blood dripped from the man's sword, narrowing his bloodshot eyes at them, pointing a finger at them, "Run, run away from here."

Akira put his arm in front of Daichi's. His mind, still racing. What is he supposed to do? He couldn't run. He wasn't able to bring himself to. He was too scared.

Footsteps echoed through the sidewalk. The sound of rapid breathing getting closer until someone was right in front of the alleyway, and that someone, was someone Daichi and Akira knew.

It was Himari. Her brown hair was messed up and sweat dripped off of her forehead. Her eyes, widening at the sight of the man before her.

It was the Hero Killer: Stain.

XXXX

-A few minutes earlier-

She was hoping Aizawa wouldn't be too mad at her for postponing their talk till the weekend ends. She was just wanting to make sure that Natsuki and Daichi got back to Hosu safely. Natsuki never texted her to let her know she got there okay, and it had been driving Himari insane and made her fear the worst. Did they get caught by a villian? Did something happen? What was going on?

She was already running straight to the house, making sure that everything had been okay. She hated feeling like she was assuming the worst, but her anxiety was screaming at her; screaming that something bad was going to happen. She hated her anxiety sometimes, but it had helped her on certain occasions.

She was finally able to reach the door to Natsuki's sister's house, knocking on it, moments before the door opened, revealing Natsuki and Naomi.

"Huh? Himari? Didn't you say you were going to…?" Natsuki trailed off, realizing that she hadn't texted Himari back to tell her she got here safely. Her eyes widened at the sight of Akira and Daichi not being there.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get your text so I came running here to make sure you made it here okay. Is Daichi and Akira inside?" Himari asked, sighing in relief. She was glad they were okay…

"They were supposed to be staying in the yard…" Naomi trailed off, realizing that they had wandered off against her own command to them. What in the world?

Himari's eyes widened. Her anxiety, returned with a full reign on her body, immediately sighing, trying to keep herself calm, but failing, "If they wandered off, I'll go find them, okay? I'll be back soon!" She jumped off the steps before Natsuki's voice called.

"Hosu city is a pretty big area. You're going to need help looking. Let me come…" Natsuki trailed off before Himari shook her head.

"No, I can't do that. I don't want you guys getting hurt. I'll be back soon. I can't argue with you right now." Himari turned back and run into a sprint to see where they could've gone, ignoring the pleas of Natsuki and Naomi for her to come back and let them help. She had a bad feeling about this now. If they stumbled upon something they shouldn't of, they could've been in real danger.

She continued to run before she felt bloodlust in one of the alleyways, sending her body to shorten her breathing. Her mind, racing before she walked back to the alleyway that she felt the bloodlust from, causing her eyes to widen at the sight before her.

Daichi and Akira were standing a few feet in front of her. Their backs, turned away from her, but she could feel their fear, their anxiety, and their sadness. Then, Himari saw the beaten and bloodied man before her that looked like he had seen far better days. He was lying in a pool of what she assumed to be his blood.

The man in front of the fallen man in the suit had been the trigger for the boys' anxiety, she assumed. She knew who he was, and now, she knew things were only going to get worse. The Hero Killer: Stain, was standing right in front of her.

Stain's eyes narrowed at the newcomer who stood at the end of the alleyway. He didn't know who she was, but he had a job to do. Depending on how she acts, she may end up being his next victim.

What was Himari supposed to do? If it had just been Daichi and Akira here, she could've carried both of them away, but the man in the suit was here. That changed everything. She couldn't just get all of them. She needed to get the boys to safety first. She didn't know if the Hero Killer would attack them or not.

"Daichi, Akira." Himari spoke low, serious. It wasn't her happy face at all. She hated to get involve and fight, but she might not have a choice at this point. If the Hero Killer was after heroes, then they should be okay, but Stain might not let her carry away the injured male, "Get home, right now." Silence enveloped the scene before Himari spoke up louder, "I'm serious! Get out of here, you two! Get home right now!"

Her voice was demanding, low and much more bold this time around, hoping to get the children away from here.

"You heard her." Stain took a daunting step forward, pointing his bleeding sword at them, "Run away from here! I won't tell you children again. If you become lethal, you're fate is sealed. Even young kids like you could be my target."

Himari had jumped in front of them in a matter of moments, letting an arm out in front of them, gulping. This was bad, this was really bad. She assumed a fighting stance to protect the two kids.

They nodded slowly before running off, hearing their cries of sadness and fear. They must be worried about her. Himari sighed; she couldn't let that plague her mind right now. If she doesn't get this guy out of here and into some medical attention, he could die. He was losing too much blood, and it wasn't something she could treat. It was far too serious.

"You came here to find those children right?" Stain's eyes stared right into her very soul, pointing the sword inches away from her throat, "Who are you? Your task has been done. So _leave._ " The next move would determined if he would have to kill her next. Two people could give him more area to spread the good word if he decided to do so, "Or are you going to get in the way of me killing this false hero?"

Dabi mentioned false heroes before when she first met him. To find a way of being a true hero is to do her duty and that was protecting others, "I know who you are, Hero Killer Stain." Despite the fear building in her, she found herself getting into a fighter stance, pulling out silver her brass knuckles that she hadn't used in a very long time. She stood her ground, declaring her hero name to him, "My name is E-Schemer, and I will not let you hurt this hero any further." She had to save him like she did with the others, but she didn't have much time. If she didn't stop this guy or carry away the man in the suit, he could die right as they were talking.

She had to intervene, but she didn't know how long this man would live. How long she could hold out if she ended up fighting him. Maybe changing his emotions would work? Make him change his decision? It seemed like the right approach so she decided to talk further while she calms that bloodlust inside of him, manipulating the emotions in him, "While I did come to find those children, I am a hero, and I will save that guy from the likes of you like I did them." She was using her emotion quirk now, trying to calm down his bloodlust, to keep him from killing them both.

Stain's eyes widened for half of a second before they narrowed right back. This woman, she was standing her ground, intending on protecting the man he intended on killing or leaving alive to keep the good word. She was protecting him, rather than letting her just fight him. She was different from the other guy. However, he notice he was calming down somehow. His intent to kill was going down. Was this the woman's quirk? Was she trying to get him away by calming his killing intent?

That had to be his only explanation. She was playing it smart while others would've just blindly attack him like this Ingenium guy did, not caring about the other heroes or people that might be in peril.

He decided to drop his sword to his side, looking at the hero, "You're different from that one. You seem like you actually care about saving people rather than getting money. Consider yourself and that man lucky." He put his sword away, starting to walk away from her before turning back to her, "I feel generous, but he'll spread the good word just fine as will you. There's countless false heroes in this world, but you seem worthy of staying alive." She wasn't what he expected. He expected her to give out into rage, but she was standing her ground to protect, "Even with that said, if you and I were to meet again, and I was in a different mood, you might not be so lucky next time. So bear that in mind, hero." And with that said, he jumped off and disappeared above.

Himari felt her knees finally give out from the anxiety, panting before pulling out her phone, dialing the police. She had to get this guy some help right away or else he would die for sure.

XXXX

When the cops came, she was swarm with questions. Many cops came to question her, asking her if she was alright, and asked her what the Hero Killer looked like. She gave them a description, something to work with. When they asked her his quirk, she told him he didn't know. She found the hero when he was already close to death. That was all the information she could give them. She didn't know anymore, but she told them also that the Hero Killer was a fanatic that was only focus on killing heroes that he deemed worthy of killing. Anyone could be at his disposal. Yet, he thought of her as someone that was worthy of living, didn't even give her a fight at all. That had to be the work of calming down his bloodlust, using her quirk to make sure he didn't fight her. She was grateful that it worked, but she knew anyone else could fall victim to him now. She still wasn't sure if she did the right thing or not. She should've tried to stop him from hurting other heroes, but the man was so injured that she couldn't risk having him succumb to his wounds.

Many reporters tried to talk with her when she was trying to leave, trying to go to make sure the man she found was going to live or not. She had to know. She was going to call Natsuki and the others when she was on their way there. It could keep her together with her nerves until she gets to Hosu Hospital. She ignored the reporters, feeling her head and body ache from all the anxiety she was feeling. She was almost grateful that she hadn't gotten that text from Natsuki. If she did, she would've come far later, and she might've been too late to help Daichi, Akira, and that man.

She felt like everything was slowing down around her and she found herself running over to Hosu hospital, deciding to dial up Natsuki.

The phone rang three times before it was picked up, "Himari?!"

Natsuki sounded like she had been super worried about her, "Hey, I just wanted to let you know I'm okay. I'm gonna head to the hospital to see if that man is okay…"

"What the hell were you thinking, Himari? You gave me and the boys a heart attack." Natsuki's voice was shaking and it sounded like she had been pretty close to crying, "I'm sorry, I was just, really worried about you." She started to sob, "I never thought we might be near the Hero Killer's next attack, but I'm glad you're okay. You're not hurt right?"

Himari smiled sadly feeling some tears begging to come out of her eyes, "I'm not hurt at all. I just got lucky, Natsuki, but I'm glad I got there when I did. I don't want to imagine what would've happened if I didn't show up at that very moment. Is Akira and Daichi okay?"

"They're pretty shaken up at what they saw, but they'll be fine. They were worried sick about you." Natsuki covered a sob, "I'm so grateful you found them when you did. I couldn't imagine…"

"Yeah," Himari swallowed a lump in her throat, "I'm glad too. I hope that man I saved is okay too. He was pouring with blood; cuts all over his legs mostly. It's safe to say some muscles could've been destroyed too, and his spine was pretty damaged too…" She was trying her hardest not to sob over the phone.

"You did what you can, Himari. I'm so grateful to you." Natsuki cried happily, "You might've saved all of their lives."

"I hope I saved all of them. I was scared I wasn't going to make it out of that alleyway alive, but I had to remain strong in that alleyway for Daichi, Akira, and that man too." Himari looked down at the ground before she stumbled upon the hospital, "I'm here. I'll let you know how he's doing."

"Good, please do, and Himari, no matter what happens to that man, please don't blame yourself for what happened. You did what you could." Natsuki sighed, sobbing still over the phone, "You were so brave and strong. I'm proud of you."

And with that said, she hung up, walking into the Emergency room. She walked over to the front desk of a woman, "My name's Tsuki Himari. I'm looking for Iida Tensei's room. I was the hero that found him in the alleyway."

The woman looked up at her, typing a few things in the computer, "He's in emergency surgery right now, but he should be finishing up." She looked over at her with tired eyes, "You can go in. If it had been anyone else here, I wouldn't of allowed anyone besides family to go in, but I can tell you're worried about him tremendously, and I'm glad you found him when you did. If you hadn't found him sooner, he wouldn't of survived. His room is down the hall, through the door and the second door on the right."

Himari bowed in respect, "Thank you." And with that, she walked towards the room of Iida Tensei. She was hoping, praying, that her big risk didn't go in vain. She didn't want him to just die.

"Brother!" She heard someone from down the hall yell. Her eyes widened before she broke into a run. It sounded like it was coming from Tensei's room. She felt the need to help someone, help them. Was he okay? Tell her that he's okay?

She entered the doorway of the hospital, looking at the doctor that was in here on top of Tensei. His head was bandaged and many other bandages and wires were hooked onto him, but she could tell he was alive, and it gave her instant relief. The woman and man before her must be…

Wait...the last name Iida..

It was one of the students of Class 1-A she was yet to meet. Iida Tenya.

She couldn't believe she didn't connect the dots till now. She had saw him fight in the Sports Festival.

They all stared at her before she sighed, straightening herself out, "My apologies, I shouldn't of barged in." She took a step into the room and bowed to the woman who she assumed was Tensei and Tenya's mother, "My name is E-Schemer. I'm the one who found Tensei in the alleyway. I wanted to know how he was…"

The mother of the two Iida brothers pulled Himari into a tight hug and started to cry. Himari was taken by surprise before she wrapped her arms around her back, patting her back, "I can't thank you enough, E-Schemer. You saved my son's life."

"It's okay, it's okay." Himari tried to calm the stranger down, "You don't need to. This is what heroes do."

Tenya turned to her, letting the tears fall from his face. She was the woman Midoriya had told her about. However, what she did was truly something he was grateful for so he walked over to the two and embraced them both, "You...saved my brother's life…" He trailed off before crying into the woman's shoulder.

"Miss E-Schemer." The doctor piped in, clearing his throat. Watching the three embracing Himari, he wanted to tell her of Tensei's condition, "There's no way he'll ever be able to a hero ever again…"

And that's when her entire world dropped that very moment. Her eyes, widening in surprise at the man's words. He wasn't...going to be a hero every again?

"He's paralyzed." The man continued but tried to give Himari some hope though, some reassurance through hard facts, "but if you didn't find him when you did, he wouldn't of survived. While he won't ever be able to become a hero again, he's able to live and that's thanks to you."

She thought and thought that it broke her that this hero wasn't going to be a hero ever again. It did, so much, but there was one thing she had been glad, that her confrontation with the Hero Killer had been able to be proven useful. She was able to save a man's life. That had been a relief, but her heart ached that he would never get to be a hero ever again. She wanted him to be able to, but she knew that was wishful thinking. The way she saw him in the alleyway also didn't surprise her. She saw those words first hand, and yet, she held onto that false hope that he was still going to be able to be a hero ever again.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry that he won't be a hero ever again." The feeling of being able to save him from not having to live with not being a hero for the rest of his life plagued her. If only she had been there, but she still felt good she saved a life.

"That isn't your fault." Tenya told her, wiping the tears from his eyes, "I'm extremely grateful to you. I would've lost my brother for sure if it wasn't for you. The person at fault is the Hero Killer."

Something in Tenya's eyes wasn't right though. She recognized his eyes as lost, but also could sense a twinge of hatred. It made her worry about the Iida. That look of hatred could lead to horrible things down the road. Tenya was right, but she hoped he didn't do anything rash.

"I guess I wish I would've done something more." Natsuki's words came back to Himari, about how she said she did the best she could do in that situation and that she handled it well, "But...it's okay, I tried my hardest to do what I could."

"You did." The Iida's brothers' mom nodded in agreement, "I'm grateful to you. I need to return the favor for what you did…"

"No, that's not necessary." Himari put her hands up in defense, "I really should get going though. I wanted to just see how Tensei was doing…"

She took a step back until a quiet voice stopped her.

"E-E-Schemer…" Tensei's voice rang from the bed,"T-Thank you…"

Himari stood there for another second before she stepped out of the room. She saved his life. Tenya didn't have to go through the pain she did. Thank goodness for that. She needed to get back to Naomi's house now. Get some rest somehow, and enjoy her time in Hosu for the rest of the time.


	6. Chapter 6

Two days had passed and Himari had been back home once again. Due to circumstances, she was given a breath of fresh air until she returned back to the school. They had the next two days off after the Sports Festival.

Still, she was worried about Tenya from what happened to his brother. While he was displaying sadness during her time in Hosu, she knew he had been angry too on the inside as well, and that part of anger, was dangerous. He could be looking for revenge.

Regardless of when she visited Tensei during those two days off, Tenya had reassured her that he wouldn't take drastic measures, but that didn't make her feel better in the slightest. There was something still off with the boy. She was making mental notes to talk to Principal Nezu and Aizawa about this as she was walking to UA.

She had to dodge the media like crazy again. Having an encounter with the Hero Killer of all people had gotten her even more publicity. She was dodging questions from them, ignoring them, trying to keep her face down. This public attention wasn't something she was used to. She's always been in the shadows for the better. Looks like becoming a staff member of UA had its downsides, it seems.

She was also going to see her two clients today. She made another mental note to apologize that she hadn't been there to see them in action. She was certain they would understand. Their internships were coming up. This would be the last session they would have before their internships.

She expected to see a lot of improvement in them, especially from Todoroki who opened up to her before his match with Izuku. She was glad that everything earlier had turned out alright but that was yet to be determined.

She continued to walk down to her office to see Aizawa standing by the door of her office, staring at her when he had saw her in sights.

"Himari." He sighed heavily, knowing fully well why she ditched him two days ago. He had been well aware of what happened. Iida's older brother had been saved by her.

Himari sighed right back at him before shooting a smile at him, giving a small wave, holding the strap on her bag tightly, "Good morning, Aizawa." She walked over to him, unlocking the door to her office.

She had a bad feeling he wasn't too happy for ditching him. Whoops!

"Let's talk." He breathed, walking into the office with her. She was daring; despite only being a new counselor at UA, and only been there for a couple of weeks now, she had already had to face down a villain by herself.

"Hope you aren't too mad about blowing you off, Aizawa earlier." Himari yawned, taking a seat at her desk. Her desk hadn't been stacked with papers. In fact, all of her files had been organized to the left of her desk. That had been the only thing there.

"I'm not. What made you think that?" Aizawa blinked, staring at her blankly. Why would he be mad at her? She had to take care of something and if she hadn't been there, who knows who could've stumbled upon that if it wasn't her?

Himari's eyes widened before she waved her hands in front of her, blushing in embarrassment, "Ah? Nothing! It was nothing!"

It was odd that the shy girl that he knew was able to stand her ground against the Hero Killer of all people, but that stress of those little ones probably was the thing that woke her up, and Iida's brother as well.

Although, she was a hero after all who didn't see much action aside from when she graduated at another hero high school just a few years ago. He did some digging on her before she started here at UA.

"Anyways," Aizawa sighed, "I wanted to talk to you about recent activity and recommend you two more students for your counseling from my class." He handed her some files and she took a look on them, "Be warned, one of them has a real hot temper. The other, you're already aware of his situation."

Himari knew who he was talking about. Tenya, so he had already been aware of such things. She sighed, "Well, your second option saves me a lot of talking." As for the first one, "The first one?" She remembered seeing parts of the Sports Festival on recap on the winner. Jeez, Bakugou was his name right?

Well, this was gonna be a ride.

"Yes, you might've seen his rage at the Sports Festival. As much as the public labels to him to be a eventual villain, he's not that bad. You just might have to calm him down if he gets hot headed." Aizawa told her, knowing that Bakugou wasn't all bad, "He's just a bit hotheaded."

Himari sighed, remembering him. She nodded at Aizawa's words, "Yeah, why the recommendation to see me weekly though?"

"Because this might set him straight. Besides, I think you're the only counselor that could probably handle Bakugou's temper." Aizawa had a feeling if it had been anyone else that they couldn't handle it. Himari could probably handle him because of her quirk, "You have my permission to use your quirk on him at any time if he gets out of hand. As for Tenya, I know you talked with him after your encounter with the Hero Killer, and I think he'll just need one for just a short while till he gets over what happened to his brother."

Himari nodded firmly in agreement at his words, "Yeah I get what you mean." She agreed, yawning.

"Originally, I was only going to have one student, but considering the incident that just happened, Iida will need it." Aizawa told her before turning to walk away, "That's all, I gotta get to class."

And with that, he left her sight. Himari sighed, resting her head on her desk. She was tired.

This was going to be a long day and yet, she couldn't help but be excited. It was the good kind of long day. She wanted to see how Todoroki and Izuku were doing after the Sports Festival, but she had quite a bit of paperwork to do today.

XXXX

A knock was heard from her door about a hour and a half later. Her head snapped over at the door before she spoke, "Come in."

The door opened, revealing Tenya walking into her office, bowing to her in respect, "I'm sorry, E-Schemer, I hope I'm not bothering you." He looked over at the chair, "Do you mind if I have a seat?"

"Of course, and you're not bothering me at all, Tenya. Is something wrong?" She asked as Tenya took a seat on the chair across from Himari's.

"Well, not entirely." He looked up at her, wanting to know more about the Hero Killer. Despite Himari's constant protests of him not getting revenge, he had to know, "I'm still wondering…"

"Tenya," Himari sighed, knowing fully well what he was going to ask her. About the Hero Killer. He wasn't stopping this and it was concerning her, "you can't go out for revenge. Your brother wouldn't want.."

Tenya looked down on the ground, cutting off Himari's sentence, "Wouldn't you've done the same thing? It hurts...I don't want him taking more lives. I don't want him to ruin anymore heroes' lives like my brother. He spared you so why didn't he spar my brother?" Himari could feel the anger and sadness emanating from his mind.

She leaned back into her seat, crossing her arms across her chest, "Tenya, you're treading on a dark path. I understand how you feel," She wished she could've done more that day, but Natsuki had been right, she did the best she could, "but if you're going to Hosu, don't go out looking for him. You didn't witness what I did in that alleyway. He's a fanatic, a scary one." She'd always had her of such things, but she only thinks the reason why Stain thought of her as worthy was because of she used her quirk to get him away, "People have been rallying with him with the same mindset and that's dangerous." Dabi said something similar to her before she even ran into the Hero Killer himself.

"How could someone rally behind someone like _that_? He's a _criminal_ , E-Schemer." Tenya covered his face with his own hands. He couldn't fathom it. All he saw in the Hero Killer was pure evil and that's all he will be to him. He deserved to get vengeance on him for what he did to his brother. He didn't have the right to take that away from him.

She sighed, resting her elbow on the desk and resting her head on her hand. She remembers an old poem her grandmother told her a long time back. _By all means, in order to make justice by oneself, one must believe that every person is more evil than oneself._

"His actions aren't justified. Seeing that pool of blood around him and seeing two kids standing there in fear, I needed to act for them. Even though I knew Stain was stronger than me, I couldn't just let him kill your brother and let him hurt two little kids. I needed to protect them first. Tenya, you could be in the same situation _I_ was in. Don't let your vengeance fuel you to the point of wanting to satisfy your own revenge rather than save someone in danger."

She was saying all of this because she cared. She was worried about him. That look in his eyes scared her.

"Promise me you won't do anything stupid if you go on your internship with Manual, _please_." She was practically begging him not to. She didn't know what could happen to him if he was faced in the same situation as she was. She was able to stay calm. She rarely ever got angry, rarely let her emotions get the best of her if she was in a dire situation like that. She wasn't riding on purely emotion. She had to play that situation smart or else things would've gotten worse. She couldn't of been standing here right now if she didn't make the right move.

Tenya sighed, knowing that she had been worried about him. He couldn't find anything else to say so he stood up from his seat and bowed to Himari, "I'm sorry for worrying you, E-Schemer. I promise you, I won't do anything rash if I find myself in the same situation as you." And with that, he started to walk away before opening the door and closing it behind him.

Himari sighed, not being able to believe him. It was hard to say. She wanted to believe him, but she had seen far too many people that would break in that position like that. It's normal and natural, but that was a slippery slope to fall into.

As the day dragged on, she hadn't picked her phone up much during her working hours. She was too busy trying to answer emails and doing paperwork. Soon enough, she heard a loud knock on the door.

"Hey, open up." Someone snapped with a snarky attitude. Looks like it was going to be the new client. Oh boy.

"Come in. It's unlocked." She retorted, signing some paperwork, stuffing it into her folder before looking at the boy who entered. Blond hair, had some kind of intimidating and arrogant gaze. He looked like he really didn't want to be here to boot.

"Let's get this over with, damn it." He sighed, throwing his bag to the side. He didn't even understand why Aizawa made it so damn official that he had to go along with this bullshit. But what he wanted was to just get away from here as soon as fucking possible.

Himari blinked. So this is why Aizawa thought she was the only one who could tolerate him in a counseling session. Setting him straight, huh?

"I heard about your outburst in the Sports Festival." She looked at him as he plopped in his seat, "Bakugou, right?" She asked as the boy rolled his eyes before jumping out of his seat, fuming.

"I didn't deserve that win, that fucker Icy-Hot didn't go all out. I didn't have the right to accept that victory, damn it." He didn't even hear her last words after 'sports festival'. He was fired up about winning in that damn Sports Festival, and she wasn't helping him at all. Could he just go home already?

She was almost thrown off at his reaction, blinking at it. She leaned her seat back. Oh boy, this was going to be interesting. It's not like she hadn't had aggressive clients before. She dealt with a handful of it sometimes.

"You have a sense of honor." She pointed out, cracking a smile at him, "That's why you threw a fit?"

"IT WASN'T A FIT!" He screamed at her, feeling a vein pulsing in his forehead, "AND OF COURSE I HAVE A SENSE OF HONOR! I DON'T NEED YOU TO POINT IT OUT."

A chuckle escaped her lips, finding herself unable to hold down her laughter. Bakugou glared at her, "What so funny?! Don't you have a sense of honor?" Or respect. God, what is with this new staff member? She was so weird.

"Just how you're reacting is all. It's not a bad thing." She told him, keeping the grin on her face, "Still," She scratched the back of her head, "do you know why you have such a hotheaded attitude to everything?" She wasn't trying to be rude, per say. She was just curious.

"I AM NOT A HOTHEAD, DAMN IT!"

She swore she lost part of her hearing as the session when on. She saw why Aizawa wanted him to chill out. She also noticed he didn't really give out anything about himself. He wasn't willing. Therefore, it really wasn't going to work. He didn't see anything wrong. At least, not yet.

She thinks the only way he's going to change is if he's involved in a life or death situation. That made a lot of sense with his attitude. He didn't come off as the nicest person in the world, but Himari never really thought of him as completely horrible. He constantly brought up he wanted to be the best and wanted to win just like All Might. That, kind of left her concerned about his mind. What would happen if a villian won? What then? She knew how stubborn Katsuki was. However, she couldn't help but wonder about that question in her mind.

She noticed Izuku's head popping in at the door about a few minutes later. She smiled, motioning for him to come in.

He opened the door, smiling happily at her, "Hey, E-Schemer!" He greeted with a small wave, putting his backpack on the ground before taking a seat in the chair across from her.

"Izuku, you look like you're in good spirits today." Himari smiled at him.

"Yeah, today's been a good day." Izuku nodded before his smile faded away, "Are you doing okay though? I heard what happened to you in Hosu…"

"Oh?" She put her hands up in defense, "Yeah, perfectly okay. I wasn't hurt at all." She sighed, crossing her legs,"Though I'm glad I got there when I did. Any sooner and the guy would've died."

"Yeah, that must've been rough, but anyways, I have some good news, I chose my hero name today!" He flashed the name to her.

Himari leaned over her desk to look at it, reading the name as 'Deku', "Oh? Interesting, what made you get that name?"

"Well, you see, Kaachan used to make fun of me with it, but ever since I started here at UA, it's really grown on me." He smiled. It might've been an insult once, but he really enjoyed it now.

"Oh?" Made fun of him? She was told him and Bakugou had a history with each other before attending UA. She wasn't sure of the context around that though. She assumed with Bakugou's attitude earlier, they probably weren't on the best of terms, "Bakugou, huh? I heard you guys had a history before you both attended UA."

"Oh, um, yeah." Izuku was super nervous about telling her their history, "He used to bully me a lot, but it's fine now. We've been getting along a lot better." Or, at least that was something he wanted to believe in. He was changing and she didn't need to go to Principal Nezu about it.

Himari noticed the slight fidgeting in his body and the nerves that he had been trying to hide. Something wasn't right and she spotted it instantly.

Izuku, noticing this, nearly fell out of his seat, "Ah, I-I'm serious, E-Schemer, h-honest." Crap, she saw through him so quickly. It's like she could see through his emotions. Well, she did have a pretty amazing quirk. Who knows?

Himari sighed, "Izuku, you can trust me on this. None of this is going to get out of this room." The only thing that wouldn't if he told her he wanted to kill himself.

Izuku sighed, "Okay, maybe it isn't getting better term wise with Kaachan, but it's not worse either." At least he didn't tell him to jump off and kill himself again. That was progress, right? "In any case, he could be doing horrible things and it's not like that he's telling me to kill myself or anything. He hasn't beaten me up in school. I mean he's tried but he hasn't succeeded aside from our first day in All Might's Hero Studies class…" He was muttering again, but it didn't look like Himari was really getting annoyed by it. At least, he didn't hope not.

"Izuku...did Kaachan tell you to kill yourself before?" She asked, crossing her arms across her chest. Now she was getting worried. Sure, Bakugou seemed like a jerk to her at first, but he had some morals right? He had a sense of honor.

Izuku hesitated, hoping Kaachan wouldn't get expelled for saying this before they were out of middle school. He didn't want Kaachan to be expelled. He looked up to him in his own way. Even if it seemed toxic, he knew that Kaachan was changing, and he didn't deserve to get kicked out.

"Yeah, he did, but that was back in middle school. He hasn't done that at UA at all yet." Izuku put his hands up in defense.

Himari bit her lip. Wow, he really told Izuku to kill himself? Why? Why would Bakugou do that? Why would anyone do that? She's encounter people with suicidal thoughts before. This was a tough situation. By default, she would have no choice but to tell Nezu about this. She hated to, she wanted to believe Izuku, but she wasn't sure he could have changed this fast. Izuku, in a way, was a lot like her, always seeing the good in everyone no matter what, "Izuku, I'm gonna have to talk to Nezu about this…"

"No please! He shouldn't get kicked out for that!" Izuku almost jumped out of his seat and grabbed Himari when she said those words.

"Izuku...it's against the law to tell someone to kill themselves. What if you would've went through with it?" Himari told him, raising her voice from the soft quiet tone to a louder tone. She didn't like this either, but she didn't have any choice.

"I wouldn't of. I mean, I don't think I would've…" Izuku trailed off before Himari sighed, putting her hand to her forehead.

"I'm gonna have to cancel Bakugou's internship. I'm sorry, Izuku, but this isn't something I can let slide." She hesitated, trying to look up who Bakugou was going to be interning at. She got the results and saw it was Best Jeanist. She heard of him.

"But-but, he's changed…" Izuku tried his hardest not to cry, but he really couldn't keep the tears welling from his eyes.

"Midoriya." She sighed, speaking much firmly, "I want to believe you, I really do, but when I look at you, you remind me so much of myself. I try my hardest to see the good in everyone as well, but Bakugou shouldn't of said that, and he needs to be taught a lesson and know better. For better or for worse, it's not something I can take lightly."

Izuku just remained quiet as she phoned Nezu, talking to him, "Principal Nezu, I need to talk to you about something." She listened to him on the phone, "Yeah, Izuku told me Bakugou told him to kill himself prior to starting UA." She sighed, "I know, but I couldn't just…" She made a humming noise in agreement, "I understand that. Jeanist is his…" She listened again, "What? You think that might break him in?" She took a deep breath, "Do you want me to call him and explain it to him?" Another pause, "Okay, okay, I'll probably have to call his family…" She hesitated, "Leave that part to you? His mom can't be that bad right?" She listened again, "Okay, Midoriya's mom I can call when I'm done talking to Jeanist. I'll talk to you later. Goodbye."

She ended the call that felt like hours to Izuku. He didn't want it to be like this, "E-Schemer, is Bakugou going to be expelled?"

She looked over at Izuku, "Nezu says that depends if Jeanist cancels his internship with him. Nezu said that on top of a two week suspension should be enough." However, he wasn't really going to be out of the woods either. A pretty tight leash, at that. It wasn't going to be nice.

She looked up his agency number before dialing it, hearing a ring and a ring before she heard someone pick up the phone, "Hello? This is Tsuki Himari from UA High. Could you patch me to Best Jeanist if he's available?"

The man's voice on the other line gave her a, "Sure thing." Before putting her on hold. She heard the phone rang and rang, a male voice picking up, "This is Best Jeanist. What can I do for you?"

Oh well, that's the best luck she's had today. She didn't expect him to pick up the phone that quickly, "Best Jeanist, this is E-Schemer from UA High School. I needed to talk to you about one of your interns that are coming from our school."

A pause, "Is it about Bakugou?"

"Yeah," A heavy sigh fell from her lips, "It's something I hope I didn't have to come to terms with, but it seems before he attended UA, he bullied a kid in his class and told him to kill himself."

She heard Jeanist grumble in the background, "That kid, I'm gonna have to whip him into even further shape for society. You're the new counselor there, right? Have you talked to Principal Nezu about this?"

"Yes, he told me the decision to cancel his internship would be up to you. If you decided against, Nezu said it would be best to expel him." She explained to him, feeling herself trying to shake the anxiety begging to come out of her body, "He's going to get suspended for two weeks on top of it if you continue his internship."

"Okay, I think it's possible for me to convert him." Jeanist told her, "I know that might sound crazy, but my agency is made for things like this. I think he needs to see you weekly during his suspension and he will be at my agency for far longer than he expected."

"Eraserhead told me to start seeing him weekly this morning." Himari nodded in agreement, "So it looks like we'll be a step ahead of you in that regard." She trusted Jeanist's decision. He was one of the top heroes for a reason.

"Sounds like a plan, E-Schemer." Jeanist told her, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'll make sure to go less easy on him now."

Something about that statement made Himari almost blink. What was his definition of easy? "You're welcome, keep me posted on his progress. I'll probably call again in the next couple of days."

And with that, she ended the call. Sighing, she needed a break now. This was exhausting.

"What did Jeanist say, E-Schemer?" Izuku asked, wondering if Kaachan was really going to get expelled or not. He would feel so bad, but he knew he wasn't going to be able to argue with her.

"He's gonna keep him while he's on suspension." She told him, "I need to make more phone calls."

"Please don't tell my mom…" Izuku began but was cut off by Himari.

"She...deserves to know, Izuku. I get you and Bakugou haven't had the best of relationships, but I can't let this slide any longer. She's your mother, Izuku, she _deserves_ to know." Himari couldn't help but raise her voice slightly again.

Time went by, multiple phone calls were made from her end. She had to cancel Todoroki's session because of this situation and reschedule it till when they come back from internships. She had a talk with Inko, Izuku's mother who had been practically sobbing on the phone when she told her. Himari was calm with her, soothing her worries and said she wouldn't let anything happen to Izuku. Nezu had told her that she was handling this well for her first major situation as a counselor.

She still felt like she was betraying Izuku, but she had to do it. She couldn't risk the time Bakugou got away with it by saying that. He tormented Izuku for years. She couldn't just simply let it slide any longer. It wasn't something she was going to let happen. She had to think about him and Bakugou as well. She trusts him, but she doesn't trust that Bakugou was going to do it again. You never know if he really did learn his lesson.

She was certain she made the right decision but would Izuku actually trust her anymore? Would he talk to her? His therapy was mandatory, after all.

After that long day, Himari had been exhausted, but she knew, in her heart, that she had made the right decision. She couldn't let Bakugou get away with saying something like that. That wasn't fair at all.

She had to make a run to Daichi's house to give them container she borrowed. She wanted to just call it off and have a relaxing day after her long and stressful day, but she really should get it done.

"Word on the street is you had a run in with the Hero Killer."

Someone's arm wrapped around her shoulder. Turning, she noticed Dabi standing there, grinning widely. She jumped out of his grasp, startled.

"Dabi, goodness, you scared me." She hyperventilated, stumbling.

Dabi enjoyed sneaking up on people. He always had a knack for it, but he wanted to see what this Hero Killer was like. His ideals, his goals, she had to have seen at least a shroud of it, right? She had to be worthy of being a hero if she was spared.

"Gotta admit, I'm pretty curious about your encounter with him." He didn't expect someone as kind and naive as Himari to have a run in with him. Much less, survive, "If you got out of there alive and not with a single scratch, there's gotta be some reason about it." His grin widened, "He must've seen you as a true hero."

Even though that's what Stain said to her, she didn't necessarily believe that. It had to have been because she manipulated his emotions. Not by his own free will. She at least thought so. She could manipulate the emotions of others and that could change their decision making skills depending upon their emotions.

"I wasn't worrying about myself." The brunette sighed, "I had Daichi, his cousin, and the wounded man to tend to. I wasn't going to start a fight and risk making the situation worse. My duty as a hero is to save people and that's all I did. I just didn't want the kids or the hero I saved to die. I was just doing my job."

"And by all means, you were seen as worthy to the Hero Killer. I like that guy quite a bit, definitely can get behind his cause. He wants heroes like Endeavor to never have the chance to use their so called heroism to their advantage ever again." He shrugged, turning to glance at Himari, "But if you have his respect, then I respect you. You passed my test, Himari. Something no one I know around these parts haven't been able to yet." They either get terrified of his piercings and run away or they spat out some heroic bullshit he's heard a million times. It really wasn't his cup of tea.

Himari knew that Hero Killer Stain's ideology that had been heard around had people being interested and curious. She didn't know how to feel about Dabi becoming like that. Much less, killing with a purpose to somehow justify your actions was already thin ice as it was. Death was death, simple as that.

"I wouldn't say I agree with his actions, but he is spatting some good truths." Dabi's words from their last encounter had been what reminded her of Stain. Stain and him practically had the same ideology now. Himari found it dangerous for them to have any motivation to justify their actions, "Killing isn't something I would do personally. There's gotta be other peaceful ways of handling a situation…"

Dabi sighed, knowing fully well she wasn't going to agree with that, but the hero society needed to change, and he would be more than willing to bring any of it down, "You're too nice, Himari. Has anyone told you that? I appreciate your morals as a hero, but sometimes, you just have to get down and dirty. That's the way the world is for people like us." She'd seen the ugly side of the world. Surely, she knew, "Like I said before when I first met you, Quirks are a great tool for anyone's motivation but it can also be a downfall. Those people that destroyed your village and killed your old friend along with countless others when you were young, they didn't care about the downfall, they slaughtered them. Would you give them pity for taking your childhood friend away? Or would you tear the world down to stop them? Make them pay for the pain they put you in." Vengeance sounded nice. In fact, he really did want some payback for what happened in his...childhood.

Silence fell and Himari found herself unable to utter any words. She was never shown that and her mind did hate herself for not doing anything any further. However, she didn't think vengeance was a good thing. It could suffocate your mind for the worst. She'd seen it with other people.

"It's not good for people to get consumed by vengeance." Himari sighed, "I don't know what happened to you in your past but if you continue down that path of vengeance than how much more could you take? What if you kill someone in your scheme of revenge that people actually loved? What then?"

This had to be the most he's ever heard out of her from their encounters. The most bold he ever heard her, "Stand up to those false heroes in society, Himari." He turned to walk a few steps forward before looking over to her. His smirk, growing, "You've been worthy to be spared by the Hero Killer. Don't let that go to waste. Our ideals are different, but our motivations aren't so different." What they both had wanted to do with society. They were just going by it in different ways, "You don't really need to know about my past. You'll find out whenever it gets out. Whenever the time is right."

And with that, Dabi left.

After she went to return the container she used, Himari found herself wondering something. Was she actually practicing what she preached? Was she actually not wanting vengeance for what happened? Sure the people that had destroyed her old village were long done now. However, in that alternate world that she met someone that destroyed her village, would she really not be angry? Would she keep her calm demure? Perhaps she's not as attentive with her emotions enough. She knew that the world was slowly but surely starting to increase in tension. Stain was already inspiring other people, but what will happen the moment he gets caught?

The whole world will probably start getting inspired by his ideals. That, was something she thought would happen.


	7. Chapter 7

Sure enough, days rolled by. The quiet atmosphere of UA high had been for the sake of the first years' first internships. It had been time for Class 1-A to see the way hero agencies worked first hand. How they kept society safe, and how they would have to see the real world.

For Class 1-A, it would not be their first encounter into the real world. They would be getting their second look at being a hero as Class 1-A had already seen their first one in the USJ attack. They had seen the horrors of fighting the League of Villains and being exposed to the first shroud darkness of this world. It incite fear in them before, but they had grown. They had risen above that, and they would continue to rise.

Hard to say that they were more prepared than the other first years had been with that kind of information.

She had a pretty quiet day and she wasn't set to see Bakugou for another couple of days. She had gotten Jeanist's call on the boy's progress that he had a pretty hard head as he expected. However, he remained confident that he could turn Bakugou into someone more fitted for society's standards.

Let's just say she's somewhat grateful that Jeanist did what he did. She didn't think Izuku would've looked her in the eye right ever again if Bakugou had been expelled. Not that she hadn't been prepared for that. Judging by the way Izuku reacted to her just telling him she needed to tell Nezu just threw her heart around. It was dangerous mentality that Izuku have for Bakugou, but Himari understood it more than anyone. She was always looking for the good in everyone no matter how bad they seemed to be. Perhaps it's why she had always attracted people who had their hearts a little heavier than the others? Who knows?

Still, it was a very quiet day, and it had dragged her day on and on. It was way too quiet. In fact, it was the quietest day she had being the counselor at UA.

A knock on her door snapped the boredom out of her. Staring at the door, she called out a "Come in." before the door opened, revealing someone unfamiliar to her.

The man's face looked to be of a dog. He had scruffy blond hair sticking straight out behind his head. He also had some kind of a muzzle on his snout on his hero costume. He looked kind of intimidating.

"Um..h-hello." Himari tried to send a nervous small smile at the man who entered the room.

The man put his hand up in defense, issuing that he didn't mean any harm to the new UA counselor, "No need to be nervous around me. This muzzle is just a part of my hero costume." He walked up to her desk, hand, outstretched for her to shake, "You must be the new counselor. Apologies that I haven't been able to be here to meet you when you first came in properly. I was on a leave for a mission. My name is Inui Ryo. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Himari. Principal Nezu has told me a lot about you."

Himari found herself blushing in embarrassment at his words, biting her lip nervously, "Ah, I hope it was all positive. It's nice to meet you too, Ryo-kun!" Whoa, a mission? That's crazy that some staff member was away for some kind of mission, "What kind of mission were you on?"

"It was all positive, no worries. You've done a good job holding the fort down while I was away." He reassured her, "Besides, it seems the children like you so far." He sighed, "It was more of a spying mission if anything. Nothing too bad. I wasn't found out, thankfully."

"Oh? Well I'm glad your mission went well." Himari gave the man a small smile, nodding at his words, "Holding down the fort? Are you a counselor too?" She thought there hadn't been anyone else that had been a counselor here at UA.

"Yes, actually. You see, after the USJ attack, Principal Nezu talked to me about adding another counselor before I left on my mission. He was concerned of the rising threat of the League of Villains targeting All Might and decided that some more mental help was also needed in the school, not just tighter security." Not to mention Ryo wasn't really that good with the students that had different personalities. More than one counselor was needed after a discussion.

"I see." Himari nodded at his words. Yes, there definitely needs to be more than just one counselor in a school. She agreed with that, The League of Villains, if they were targeting All Might as much as everyone says they were, it's possible she could have a run in as well with them. Considering her closeness to Class 1-A as a whole…

"The League of Villains...I don't know much about them, but they want to kill All Might, right?" It...really blew her mind that someone would want All Might dead. He was such a strong symbol in society, such a bright soul for the world. Who could want to kill him? She gets that villains are villains, but villains aren't just villians for the heck of it. They had a motive like heroes had a motive to be heroes themselves. Just because they're villains doesn't mean they don't wake up one day and just decide to be evil. If they even were villains.

"Yes, it's hard for you to probably understand that considering how All Might is. I'm sure you've already met him. He always likes showing the newbies around." A little too much for Ryo's taste, but All Might had been a symbol for a reason.

Himari chuckled, "He's interesting to say the least. I was thrown off by him quite a few times. He got me to socialize with the other staff members my second day here." He liked adopting introverts a lot, it seemed.

"Yes, that was a pain." Ryo sighed, knowing how it felt when All Might had wanted to drag him with the teachers on his first week. Talk about a pain, "Anyways, Principal Nezu told me about your findings on the case of the USJ attack. It seems even with someone we thought that could have some kind of connection to this Shigaraki guy, we still can't get any information on him. We can't find out anything about him." He sighed again. This time, with frustration on edge with his voice.

"Yeah," Himari looked down at her open right hand, "I'm sorry I couldn't help you any further." God, why did this Shigaraki guy look so familiar? She couldn't shake this familiar feeling off of her. She knew villains had co names too, but if Shigaraki was really Tenko...why would he go by that name? Why did he want to kill All Might? It didn't make any sense. Tenko was in the list of the deceased from the file Nezu gave her on the case. So why, why did he look like him?

It didn't make any sense to her, it stabbed her. It stabbed her so much that his face was a reminder, of emstrong _her mistake_ _/strong/em_ _._ That she couldn't save him, and it really did make her heart ached. It was like a vein in her body had burst and the bleeding was unable to stop. In other words, It would be as if she was getting a slow, but painful death.

"It's alright," Ryo sighed, noticing something was wrong with Himari. She looked sad that she couldn't help them, but she had done her best, "You did your best."

That wasn't...she sighed, she needed to go out for a walk or something, "Ryo, it was good to talk with you." She got out of her seat, sending a small smile at the man, "I think I'm getting a little stiff so I'm going to go for a walk now around the school. Stretch my legs out a bit. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay!"

She immediately skipped past him, hoping to walk and get some fresh air. She'll feel better after that, yeah. It's not like every time she heard Shigaraki's name that she thought her old friend Tenko, or anything…

But it was exactly that. As much as she hated to admit it, she really did think of Tenko just because of how Shigaraki looked a lot like him. If, and if Shigaraki was really Tenko, she'd be happy that he was alive, but the path he would be taking…

She wouldn't know what to do if she realizes that theory is true. It's something she really didn't want to believe. Tenko was listed as dead, simple as that. They had to have found his body. They had to…

She wasn't feeling that good, she was just needing to get outside and feel the fresh air.

"Young Himari!" A hand was suddenly slapped onto her shoulder, causing her to jump. She turned to see All Might standing there, giving her a bright grin, "I was looking for you!"

God, not now...she just wanted to be left alone. She hated to decline All Might of anything though. He had been such a bright soul. Regardless of that, she gave the tall hero a small smile, "Oh, All Might, you were looking for me? What for?"

He pulled out his small lunch bag and pointed to it, "I was wondering if I can chat with you for a bit over some lunch?"

Himari blinked, trying to process what the number one hero had just asked her. Well, maybe All Might will make her feel a bit better? He had that hold on people; to brighten the mood. Plus, she was curious as to what he wanted to talk about…

"Oh? I um...sure. I'll go back to my office and go grab my lunch."

XXXX

It was odd being able to have lunch with the Symbol of Peace himself. It felt awkward, really, especially with the way she was feeling to boot. She wasn't her usual self so she had no idea, but she was doing this to make herself feel better. Plus, All Might was kind of one of those people to talk to if you needed to get motivated again.

Silence had filled the room for a minute before All Might spoke, "It's certainly a nice day outside, isn't it, Young Himari?" Peaceful, however, not because of his students being away. The weather had been getting warmer over the last couple of weeks.

"Oh." Himari swallowed some food down, "Yeah, it certainly is, summer is coming up soon, ain't it?" She really enjoyed spring a lot though. She liked the balance in seasons. It was far too cold for her in winter, and it was too hot for her in summer.

"Yes, the students' exams are coming up." All Might nodded, continuing to eat his lunch, "However, I really wanted to talk to you about something. Young Midoriya has been in your care for his therapy. I heard what you discovered about his past." He wanted to say he was sorry, but he wouldn't have a reason to. It happened long before he became his successor, "I had no idea that Young Bakugou told Young Midoriya to kill himself."

Himari's muscles tightened, looking down at the ground, "Yeah...I…" She closed her eyes tightly. She'd always get cases like this where it would be hard to decide what she had to do. However, protocol said if anyone had suicidal thoughts needed to be safe at any costs. Sometimes, it would be hard, especially in Izuku's case where he cared about his own bully. It was a...dark route to say the least, but it wasn't uncommon.

"There's no need to be upset with your decision." All Might rested a hand on the woman's shoulder, "You made the right choice." He took his hand off her shoulder a moment later.

"Do you think Izuku hates me for that?" Himari asked, looking up at him. Sure, All Might might be thinking she made the right choice, but Izuku? Did he hate her?

All Might shook his head, "Now, Young Himari, whatever gave you that idea? Young Midoriya really cares about you. You haven't had that many sessions quite yet, but during them, he's felt a lot better. Even though it tore his heart to see Young Bakugou get punished, he knew you were only doing what was best for him and Young Bakugou both. Although, it seems that Jeanist is going to be even more harsh on him than what he was going to be. I wonder how the boy will turn out after his internship?"

Himari listened to All Might's words, and felt a lot happier, but nearly felt stupid at the same time, "Ah?" She shakes her head back and forth, "Why didn't I think of that?" A breathing sigh falls from her lips, "I didn't mean to get the wrong idea or anything it's just how people have reacted to me doing things like this before that's gotten me on edge…" She was mumbling on about her mistakes again…

"Young Himari." A sigh escaped All Might's lips, "People like you and me are the reason why the world isn't as crazy as it could be. We keep people safe, in our own way. You do it by healing people's' mental capability and standing by a true hero's ideology. I try to save them by saving not only their life, but their heart as well. You're being a true hero with your capability. A hero saves not only their lives, but their heart as well." He put a hand over his own heart, "Just because you don't attack villains like I do doesn't make you any less of a hero. You heal their hearts and protect them, and that is an asset of a true hero. Never forget that." He shoots her a thumbs up.

Himari smiled, feeling a lot better than what she had before, chuckling, "Thank you, All Might. Your words are what I needed."

"It's no problem, that's what I and the other staff members are here for!" All Might walked over to hug the woman, shocking her. He patted her back, "I just wanted to talk with you to reassure you that Young Midoriya didn't hate you and that you've done the right thing. I also was a bit concerned about you, but it'll be okay! I support the decision you made for them both." He patted her head, giving out bright grin.

He pulled away from her, still grinning proudly, "Now, are you excited to help us out with the final exams?"

Himari was nearly thrown off at All Might's words. She was...going to be helping them? "Helping?"

"Yes! I'd thought Nezu would've sent you a message about it, but it looks like he didn't. Many of the first years will be challenged by staff members that put them at a rough disadvantage. They will either have to defeat you or break through the escape gate." All Might pointed out, "However, Class 1-A's competitors have already been selected."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, startling Himari and All Might both. Who entered the room surprised them both. Himari, because she didn't know him, and All Might who had been wholeheartedly shocked by the timing.

"Ah, Sekijiro, what perfect timing…" All Might was shaking slightly, causing Himari to chuckle at how much he was shaking. Who would've thought the Symbol of Peace could get so startled like that?

The tall male glanced at All Might, looking confused for a second before noticing Himari, "Aizawa told me he saw you guys heading over here so I wanted to introduce myself to the new counselor and tell her of the final exams." He looked over at Himari who stood up from the couch she was sitting in. He offered a hand for her to shake, "It's nice to finally meet you, Himari. My name is Kan Sekijiro. I'm class 1-B's homeroom teacher."

Himari nodded, smiling before shaking the man's hand, "It's nice to meet you too. You said you wanted to tell me about the final exams?"

"That's exactly what I want to talk about with you." He nodded at her words, "You see, my class needs another person to help them out. All Might won't be helping anyone out in the finals except Class 1-A so it leaves me down a teacher. You will be working with us to help with the final exams. I actually have a plan of who you will be fighting against, actually." He pulls out two files on students on his class, handing it to her, "Having only been here at UA for not very long, you don't have the knowledge that all of us had that started with our students in the beginning of the term."

Himari took a look at one of the students that had been on the list. One of them had a copying quirk while the other had some kind of supernatural quirk that could make sounds from someone or something that wasn't there as long as she had the knowledgement on those said things, "Hmmm, Monoma Neito and Yanagi Reiko, huh? Interesting match."

"Despite the pairing seeming like it would makes sense to make you slightly at a disadvantage, Neito has a bit of a...complex when it comes to being more superior to others. This was shown in the Sports Festival, and he's quite competitive with his classmates as well. With your quirk though, he'd have quite a bit of a hard time especially without knowing your quirk and it's strengths and weaknesses. However, Neito is very intelligent. You might be surprised at what the two can do." He told her.

"Yes, it's been a while since I've had a fight." Himari nodded in agreement, "I'm not much of one compared to you both. However, I can't help but to get excited at the chance of testing the students." It was...a weird feeling. She hadn't been excited for a fight since her high school days, and even then, it wasn't much.

"That's the spirit, Young Himari." All Might grinned, clenching his right fist and punching it into his own chest, "You'll find fighting them will be interesting to say the least."

Perhaps, this would be interesting, indeed.

XXXX

What a long day, but it was certainly interesting. She hadn't been this tired since the night she encountered the Hero Killer. She went over to visit Daichi and Natsuki for a few hours, telling them of what she will be doing for the final exams. Honestly, while she was excited to see what the students were capable of in a few days from now. However, she was also a little nervous. She had kept her physical training going despite being a caseworker for about a year after she graduated college, and she hadn't fought since a few months back. When she ran into the Hero Killer, she wondered if that would've been when she had to bring her fighting skills back into reality. The only reason she had fighting skills in the first place was to protect herself and the people she cared about. In this society, almost everyone knew how to fight. Some people merely used their quirks for it. Others like her, resorted to a balance of quirk use and fighting.

Considering Himari's quirk, she didn't even need to have fighter skills. She could tear her enemy apart without even lifting a finger on them. She remembered what Dabi had said about her quirk. How destructive it could be and how it was a good thing someone like her had it.

Even though Tsuki Himari hadn't been afraid of her quirk in a long time, ever since she had gotten control over it, she had to be weary. Her grandfather time and time again told her that people with her kind of quirk, if let out often, would get interested in it. It could be the good part like she was in UA, or the bad that could send horrible and horrible people after her.

Would she really be able to keep herself in the shadows? Would she be able to do that now that she was working UA? The thought didn't occur to her, but it was what it was now. Although, if she were to get discovered by people who might take advantage of her, UA was the safest place to be. It wasn't like it was before when she was a caseworker. It would've been even more dangerous if she got out of the spotlight then.

It was slowly but surely starting to get dark out, and she was heading to her apartment. Word had hit her earlier that the Hero Killer had been defeated and arrested for his actions a couple of days ago. The entire world was glued, interested in hearing such motives for the deemed 'hero killer'.

Himari didn't think she would forget that encounter she had of the Hero Killer for the rest of her life. It had been the first time, in a long time that she had been in a life or death situation. That thought made her think about a few months prior, a former client of hers had been kidnapped by a villian, and she had confronted the man herself, taking a bit of damage but successfully being able to bring him down and save the boy's life. Unfortunately, her case was terminated and she had a rough suspension at work. Despite having a hero license, protocol stated in her job not to pick fights and let other pros and the police handle it.

Stain, however, left some kind of impact on her. His fanatic ideology, the way he talked about it with her briefly, had shaken her to her very core. Despite keeping it all together, Himari didn't have much of a choice. She had to do it for the sake of not only Akira and Daichi, but for Tensei as well. He had brought up a lot of good points, but Stain had turn his motivation, into something unforgivable, and that was taking the lives of others. That was not something he could justify no matter how many times he had tried to justify it. Murder was murder. Nothing more to it than that.

Her thoughts were cut off by the sudden voice of the Hero Killer himself coming from a phone of a group of teenagers she was passing by that were standing around a corner, by a light post a few feet away from her. Her heart and blood ran cold, remembering his voice.

She had stopped in her tracks. Her heart, racing and racing. He had been caught and this was a video. She needed to calm down and get home, but when Stain's voice spoke out from his ideology, it was hard to turn away and walk away.

"False heroes!" The voice of Stain bellowed out from the blond kid's phone, "I will make the word 'hero' have it's old meaning, I'll bring down every single one of you false heroes." A pause, followed by a noise of a knife, impaling something or someone, "Everything I do is to better society." Another hesitation fell on him, "There is only one man that can kill me. All Might is worthy!"

All Might...was worthy? He said she was worthy to stay alive, but that was only because of the way she manipulated his emotions. However, All Might had been worthy to kill him? Could he have been worthy? Did All Might bring back the essence of a hero then?

The kids cheered with excitement which cause Himari's stomach to twist. She was unable to fathom why someone would cheer the Hero Killer on like that. They were encouraging him to do murder. Even if she can agree with some of his points of false heroes, he was still killing people.

"Let's play it again." One kid stated as Himari heard the familiar tone of replaying a video.

"Hero Killer Stain: formerly known as Akaguro Chizome, was inspired by the ideology of All Might, the Symbol of Peace himself. He enrolled in a private hero high school and dropped out shortly after realizing how broken the system was. He realized that the name heroes was not what it was supposed to be now. In time, he trained for a decade to be able to kill people he deemed worthy of dying, losing their way of being a hero themselves."

Himari stood there once again, feeling like it had been hours when it was only a minute in real time. The feeling that she had that day, sinking in. It was freaking her out again. Cold sweat, dripped on her forehead. It was as if she was living out another encounter of him, and she was terrified. She was terrified of certain people getting that power of his ideals and using it against the heroes. Villains could rise up again and be as crazy as they were before All Might was around. This was...terrifying.

Another person of her past came to mind. One, from fairly recent time.

Dabi, he brought up how much he could back someone like that. How he respected her for being deemed worthy of the Hero Killer's ideology. How he could get behind someone like Stain. He was so for vengeance and even though Dabi respected her as a hero, she knew he and her were heading on different paths. It made Himari wonder if Dabi would ever want her to see things in his own side, to go to the side of Stain's ideology.

That was something she could never do. Stain was a murderer. She couldn't ever do something like that. She couldn't take a life. She couldn't carry out that will, and now, that the League of Villains were seen to be connected to Stain, she was definitely worried about him. She didn't want him to get mixed up with them. Most of all, she realized due to her links with Class 1-A and All Might, she might end up being on opposite sides of him. She may end up having to face him.

She was getting so tense, so frozen by that power. If the League gets bigger, more powerful now that they could use Stain's ideology to their advantage, things were bound to get worse.

She wasn't entirely sure what she could do now. Although, unknowing to her at that very moment, things were already sent course for her life to go into a greater hell than she ever expected. Her encounter with Stain, had been the start of her life beginning to tumble down into a living hell and she, had no idea that it was going to stir the pot.

Her crazy life, would begin in that first encounter with Stain, and change the course of her life forever.

For now, Tsuki Himari had been oblivious to that fact, finding the strength to walk back to her apartment. A mix of heaven and hell, perfectly in her. Her bright heart, her healing, and her ties to villians that she wasn't aware to be villians. It was the calm before the storm and that storm, would be brewing very soon. Words would not be her salvation then, her ideals, would be questioned as well as decaying into the hands of someone she would soon cross paths with. For better or for worse, her nightmare was bound to come true soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Increasingly, days went by. The first years, had returned from their internships about two weeks ago. Now, it was time to prepare for the final exams.

She'll admit, she's seen Class 1-B's faces around the halls of UA, but she's never talked to any of them before. It would interesting to her to see what they can do, and she was excited to see the fire and determination flowing into their entire body as the finals would begin tomorrow. Although, she couldn't help but wonder how her clients would do in their exams.

Speaking of that, she remembered that she got to see them today. All three. Bakugou, however, had been still in his punishment with Jeanist. After a ton of debate with the other teachers, it was decided that Bakugou would still take his final, but that was the only chance he'd have in the class. He would be behind. However, summer camp was still an option but due to it, he would have to do some remedial classes as of a result.

So far, in his therapy, he had been hotheaded and rude, but Himari knew he wasn't an bad person. No one was. He didn't seem like he still wanted to open to her at all. She wondered why he was like that? Family environment?

He wanted to win, just like All Might did. That was...kind of scary mentality. What if a villain won? What then? Would he believe the villains to be just if they won? Ugh, it was eating her up but she didn't want to be rude about it and ask about that. It wasn't something she wanted to spring at him at random. That's what rude she was talking about anyways. It would be better if it came naturally, clarifying his ideology to her.

Shouto and Izuku, they encountered Stain, and Endeavor had saved him. That must've been hard. That must've been terrifying.

They had seen what she had then. Considering how scared she had been after her encounter, she didn't want to imagine what Izuku, Shouto, and Tenya went through.

Tenya...she was hoping he was doing okay. She knew what he had done, and she hopes he concluded she was correct from the beginning. Vengeance, while powerful, never got you anywhere.

She'd wish Dabi could understand those words. Her last encounter with him had her worried about him.

A knock on the door echoed through the depths of her quiet room. Her bright eyes, widened at the sound. Her three clients wouldn't be in til this afternoon. It was still right before class started earlier.

Her desk was a complete mess. She scurried to organize it, hearing another knock on the door, "Ahhh, come in." She panicked.

Tsuki Himari hadn't knowledgeable for significant things. However, she definitely, was known for her cleanliness. The knock on her door surprised her. She wasn't expecting someone this soon.

The door opened, revealing Tenya, causing Himari to tilt her head to the side. Her bright eyes, widening at the sight of the boy Relief, shot through her body, revealing to her that he seemed in one piece. She had been worried about him, not wanting more than to see that he and the others were alright. Fighting the Hero Killer would do many strains. However, she was concerned more about his mental state. How much damage was done to it? He doubt Stain was really kind to them. Hell, he even threatened to kill her and she hadn't taken any action.

"Tenya?" She puts her back onto her chair, sliding herself closer to her desk, looking down at her still cluttered desk before looking back up at Tenya, "Sorry, it's a little cluttered. I wasn't expecting visitors this early."

Tenya nods, pushing his glasses upwards, "It's alright, do you mind if I take a seat? There's something I would like to talk with you about." He couldn't tell E-Schemer about the outcome of that night in Hosu. However, he could tell her about the Hero Killer's encounter he had.

"Of course," She nodded slowly as the boy took a seat across from her, "I heard you encounter the Hero Killer."

Tenya hesitated, nodding at her words. He feels tense at the memory of the alleyway that night, but he knows he needed to tell her what happened in order to get his mind cleared before class, "Y-Yes." A pause, this time, by trying to find the lines of words to connect with his thoughts, trying to make them in sync, "You had an encounter with him too, correct?"

Himari nods, taking a sip of her coffee, savoring the vanilla taste, "I did." She rested the cup on her desk. Coffee stains were right next to where she rested it at. She looked down at it, glancing back at the first year student. What exactly did he want to know about?

"So did you feel his fanatic presence too when you confronted him?" He asked her, wanting to know how she felt when she had encountered him.

Himari took another sip of her coffee, swallowing the warm beverage, almost burning her tongue the moment her coffee touched her mouth, remembering that day as if it had been yesterday, "Yes, it was enough to scare me and leave me there frozen in fear." The woman replied, yawning, "I couldn't show the fear that had pierced through my entire being because I had people to protect, people to save." Even though Stain outclassed her at near everything, he still left and spared her, "Even if I was afraid, fearful that I was going to lose my life that day, I needed those two kids I cared about as if there were my own children to not be afraid of what might happened to me. To reassure them that everything would turn out fine."

All Might's words came into her mind. The strongest people are the ones that smile. Himari never really described herself as strong. She thought of herself as a healer. Someone that was not meant for the battlefield. She was someone that hands healed rather than to hurt and kill.

Her grandfather's words when he had been teaching her to use her quirk and control it also came to mind. Her quirk was powerful, having the ability to mess with her opponent without even touching them. It was obvious how useful it really was. It could save many lives. However, all good things had to come with a price.

A memory hit her, as if she was living in that time all over again. At the age of eleven years old, Tsuki Himari had already seen her end of hell. Someone that shouldn't of been able to see hell at such a young age. Tenko, her friend, had been confirmed to be dead in the hellhole of an attack two years prior. She had never come to terms with her birth parents seeing as they never wanted her to begin with. Himari's guardians were the real parents.

Himari's quirk manifested before the attack, and yet, the attack made her quirk go crazy as she was in such a shock of what was happening. Her sweet, shy friend who's quirk had manifested right before the attack, had killed a man on accident who had tried to harass them. She still could picture little Tenko in her mind crying, burying his tiny face into her chest. Himari had unconsciously calmed him down and made him happy again with her quirk.

Many people in the village then knew what her quirk was and ultimately blamed her own quirk being so unstable as the cause of the incident that Tenko caused. She had panicked and made the man commit suicide. She had been on the receiving end of hatred, people calling her names like monster, a future villain. The girl who could make people kill themselves without even touching them.

In retrospect, her and Tenko had dealt with the same constant insults because of their quirks, and they had found safety in each other. They had been one in the same.

Himari had wanted to take the blame, she had wanted to protect the friend who still accepted her even though her quirk was made to be terrifying. The authorities had claim it had been an accident, considering Himari was young and still needed to learn how to use her quirk. Tenko's parents had been worried, but Himari's grandfather told them that she was getting lessons from him as he understood the urgency of her learning to have a leash on her quirk as it was a devastating power.

He also knew how precious Tenko was to her and how much she always had been happy to see him. She shared and strong bond with him.

Shimura Tenko had been the first person Himari had ever got close to. And his small smile of when they were young were still in her mind.

It had also sadden her because Tenko had a whole life to look forward to after his tragic death that night on their old home. The aftermath of that devastating incident made Himari want to help had a broken piece of her heart permanently broken. I made Himari want to make amends for her mistake for not saving her first real friend.

Shimura Tenko, despite being afraid of his own quirk and how it decayed other people around him that he touched, had the potential to become a hero and had that potential ripped out when a group of villains took that away from him.

She had wanted to be the hero he would be proud of. He always said she wasn't one for some kind of violence.

However, even when she had been eleven years old and still new to the area, she could still feel those bone piercing words that kept her up late at night. That developed in her head,

"E-Schemer?"

Tenya's voice ripped her out of her very own flashback. She stared at him, blinking, "Are you okay?"

 _Your hands were never meant to kill._

Grandfather's words from so long ago. The reason why she had joined the General Education course when she had reached her high school years. Essentially, her grandparents had made her see some kind of light as well as the counselling she herself had to go through when she was growing up.

 _They're meant to heal. They're made to give people hope in this cruel world._

It's why she became a caseworker, it was why she became a counselor at UA.

 _Emotion quirks are useful. If you don't want to be in the hero course, you will still need to know how to fight. People could come after you because of your quirk._

Getting attention from the media was what she expected. However, even though her quirk was could destriy, she wanted to touch as many hearts as she can no matter how much attention was thrown at her.

She forced herself to snap out, looking at Tenya. A hand raised to touch her temple, rubbing it, "Sorry, I'm fine." She gave him a small smile before relaxing her shoulders, "Stain's ideology had meaning in it but taking a life is never justified. There are heroes that use their profit for their own personal gain." Her grip on her skirt tightened, "However, I had only been lucky. I used my quirk to convince him to get away from me and your brother. I was afraid he'd catch on and kill me, but he didn't."

"He saw your resolve to protect them then." Tenya's eyes reverted to the ground, "I hate him still, nothing could change that, but it's not because of your quirk that he spared your life. He saw you pulling a selfless move and deemed you as a true hero." She was someone Tenya couldn't imagine on the battlefield. To have such a strong resolve even though she was not fitted for battle…

Tenya found that admirable. She was a true hero. He respected her. She might not be out there as much as the other heroes. However, she was still a hero doing heroic deeds like saving people. There needed to be more people in the world like her.

After all, not all heroes are simply those who fight in the battlefield.

"He did, and for what's it worth…" Her eye contact slips away for a moment, hesitating, looking back at him, "It's okay for you to hate him, but don't let that hatred control your life."

Silence enveloped the room once again. Tenya has tried to find his words once again, trying to maintain them, "I'm sorry, E-Schemer." He gripped his pants tightly, "I'm sorry for not following your advice and getting caught up in my own emotions. That night in Hosu, all I could think about how much pain I had been in. I didn't stop to care for Native, the hero that Stain almost killed, and I almost paid the ultimate price for it. Even though I hate the Hero Killer, I shouldn't of let myself get so caught up in my emotions. Midoriya and Todoroki were bleeding to protect me. If I didn't get caught up in revenge, they wouldn't of had so many injuries. You were right, vengeance isn't the answer. I've learned this lesson the hard way, and I want to make my brother proud of me for taking his hero name. I hope you're not too mad at the mistakes I've made."

Himari listened more, nodding before sending a small smile at him. The girl was never mad at him, just anxious about him. The young counselor was glad he and the others came back in one piece. She got up from her seat, resting a hand on Tenya's shoulder, "I was never mad at you, Tenya. I was just worried about you. Revenge could be such a powerful tool that it can turn you into something you never expected yourself to be. Not many people would've came to terms with that as quickly as you."

It made her think and worry about Dabi again. Himari didn't want him to turn into a murderer, a villain. She didn't want to face him in the battlefield. The woman didn't want him to go insane about Stain's ideology and do something he shouldn't. Something he may end up regretting when it was far too late to turn back.

"But I'm glad you have learned your lesson. I'm proud of you,"

Proud? She was proud of him? Tenya felt a lot better. He felt good enough to go to class now. He took a big step back from her, bowing, "Thank you so much, E-Schemer. Coming here helped. It made him feel more able to go to class now." He made a mental note if he had been feeling down again, to come to her. She knew how to heal hearts. That was for certain.

"Good." Himari's smile widened, "Get to class before Aizawa ends up unleashing a lecture on you." She ordered him.

He smiled, "Of course."

XXXX

Hours went by, paperwork was being done, and Himari had chugged down the last of her morning coffee. She was enjoying the day. It was almost time for her to see her clients today. She was excited. She had been in a good mood despite the memories that had been bearing down on her earlier. It was good for her to get some memories as to why she does what she does it didn't change how she felt. However, if someone could not get that push it was ultimately not going to work.

It was hard for Tsuki Himari to give up on people. It was hard for her to let go. Perhaps it had been the reason of her past that she had cling onto people a little too long, a little too much.

A knock on the door echoed into the room, hearing Izuku's voice through the door, "E-Schemer, may I come in?"

"Yes," She sees the door open, revealing him. Relief flashed through her body at the sight of seeing the young boy. He had certainly been through a lot, "It's good to see you, Izuku."

"It's good to see you, E-Schemer." He smiles before taking a seat at the chair across from her.

"How have you been faring since the Stain incident?" Himari asked curiously, wanting to know how he had been doing since.

"Well…" Izuku began, biting his lip, "it's not been too bad. Although, I'm glad I got to Iida when I did. Who knows what could've happened."

Who knows indeed. Stain could've easily killed more people and the Nomu raging around Hosu would've given him more of a chance to work the shadows and the media would've been far focused on the League of Villains wreaking havoc on Hosu than him. She felt a small twinge of anxiety hit her, having worried about Dabi again.

She didn't want his revenge to destroy him.

"Iida was in here earlier." Himari told him, "I know what revenge can do to someone." Or rather, what it might do, "You were brave, Izuku. You were someone he needed at his worse. Yourself and Shouto both. You both helped him in more ways than imagine, and you took a lot of courage to face someone like the Hero Killer head on like that."

Izuku took E-Schemer's words to heart. She was right, Iida needed them that night, "I'm grateful I could save him. All Might always says we have to save people within our reach." He moved his fingers around into small circles, taking his eyes off of her for a moment before looking back into them.

"I don't entirely agreed with the Hero Killer's actions, but I could understand his fanatic ideology. The reason he was the way he was. He saved me from a Nomu after Endeavor arrived. He also said All Might had been the only man he would let kill him."

"I saw the video." Himari told him, "I heard him say those words. However, I too, when I encountered him saw his fanatic ideology." She hadn't been scared, she had been utterly terrified of that, but at the time, "I was more worried about him taking more lives and killing those two kids I also protected. However, he and I only exchanged a few words, but he stared into my soul far more than any other villain I've encountered." Which hadn't been much, but still, she doubted any other villain would stare into her soul like that than for a long time, "He's gotten attention from the media and put in the same canister as the League of Villains. Can't say I'm not worried about the attention it might get." People from the underground and rogue villains could join up with them. They wouldn't seem like a childish threat any longer.

They would become a huge force to be reckoned with.

"I am worried about that too," Izuku nods, "but wouldn't they realize that Stain's ideology wouldn't add up together if they saw that video?"

"Depends, that's what I would like to believe, Izuku." Himari sighed, "But other people have a tendency to interpret something else. Sure, every villain has a motivation that may differ, but there's something that the League and Stain have in common," She snapped her fingers, "and that's they both want to change society as a whole in their own, chaotic ways. It's easier to get people on your side if you share a common foe."

"You're right about that." Izuku nods at her words, "Have you heard anything about Kaachan." It still kind of hurt him he got suspended but at least his career would not get ruined. That's what he cared about.

"I can't tell you what goes on in here, but Jeanist calls me from time to time to check in with me and give me an update. He's still as hot headed as he always is, but he says he thinks he's making progress with him."

"Ahh, that's good." Izuku smiled, finding himself feeling a lot better with that knowledge said.

He was a capable kid, a good one at that. She was proud of his progress. The session went on for Izuku to tell her about his internship. How he met Gran Torino, and figured out his quirk to not have as devastating results in his body. Himari had been proud of him over these last few weeks. He was growing and she was excited to see him process even more.

When he left, she saw Todoroki standing over at the door, waving at her. She smiled, giving a polite, "Hello" before he took a seat.

"You've been through a lot, Shouto." She stated the obvious to him, "How have you been faring."

"It's been going fine." He couldn't tell her what happened that night, "I'm seeing my mom regularly now." He told her, "She's helped a lot. I wouldn't of been able to choose my father's agency if I didn't see her. She told me I could keep moving forward and forgave me faster than I ever expected."

"I'm glad, I didn't think your mother hated you. More like disliked that you had features of the man that had often broke her down." It wasn't his fault and she's certain he had came to those terms himself, "but that isn't your fault, Shouto. You're very strong and a capable man, and I bet she's proud of the path you're taking now. Just like I am."

He had changed a lot.

"She is, I sent her a lot of letters when I was away on my internship." He told her and Himari found her heart warming at such a gesture. He loved his mom.

"My sister was honestly surprised that I went back." He told her, "None of us really keep in contact with mom that often because of what happened, but we share that same feeling about dad…"

"Yes, that's understandable. It's normal in your own situation. I doubt you hate your father because it is often hard to realize that the person who is supposed to love and lift you up is constantly breaking you down." She's seen other people in those situations, "However, I also doubt you're not going to forgive him any time soon, but forgiveness, is for your own good. You never do it for the people who have broken you down, you do it to let yourself go."

"You're right." Shouto sighed, "but I don't have it in me to forgive my father. I doubt I will have it any time soon."

"And that's perfectly okay, take as much time as you need. It's okay if you're not ready to forgive your father yet." Himari knew healing yourself was a work in progress. She knew from her own experience. She may not have known her father, but she definitely has been in that position where she's needed to come to terms with a lot of things. She still is in retrospect, but she was moving forward.

"E-Schemer, have you ever dealt with some kind of situation with someone you care about going the wrong path?" Shouto had been curious about her. He knew she was a good person, maybe far too good for her own good, but he wanted to get to know her more. He wanted to know how she was so understanding, so well at her job. What struggles she had.

However, he did not want to step out of line.

Her eyes widened, "Well, I've been...dealing with a situation like that." She confessed. It had been the first time she brought up Dabi to anyone, "I met someone before I worked here at UA. He seems he has good intentions, but his heart is so wrapped in revenge, and I'm worried about him in all honesty. He's inspired by Stain's ideology now, and I…" She hesitated, feeling a lump in her throat, "I'm concerned for him. If he starts taking action like Stain…"

"You're worried he won't ever stop, right?" Shouto asked her causing her eyes to widen in shock.

"Y-Yes, I am." She seen and heard enough stories to know first hand, "However, if I see him in the wrong path, I won't know what to do. I know he's a good person, and he's not all bad, but…" It would hurt to see him become the monster she didn't want to, "I consider him a friend. So I'm still trying to cope with all of this, but I'm doing my best to move forward." She shouldn't even be talking about this with her client. She's supposed to be strong, not showing her own weaknesses.

Shouto nods in understanding. He knows what he needs to ask of her next, "I want to get my mom out of that hospital. I want her to see the outside world again without a shred of fear. You're a counselor so I wanted to see if you could reach out to her one day. Maybe you could help get her out of there."

Her eyes widened, not really sure if she could honestly help his mom due to counseling him, but she had made a mental note to do so. She had wanted to help any broken soul no matter how bad it seemed. Her heart would go to hell and back for anyone. She would do anything to save anyone she could.

"I'll see what I can do. If you give me the information, I'll go from there." She would love to help his mom and it would probably help him to not worry so much as well, "Quick results won't happen but I'll do my best."

"It doesn't matter. Like you said, you don't have to rush true progress." He told her.

As their session went on, Shouto had opened up to her more and more. He told her about what had happened to him and his siblings, and it had broken her heart that such a young boy had to go through so much.

When he had left, such a thing had satisfied her. She had now been waiting for Bakugou to come in next. It had been a few minutes before a loud knock was on the door.

"I'm coming in."

Bakugou entered, landing in the seat. He didn't look too happy. His hair was slicked up from his internship, it seems.

"Let's get this fucking feely shit over with."

Himari sighed, "Well, have you been enjoying Jeanist?" She popped the question in, seeing as he'll lose his mind the moment she brought him up.

"Hell no, the fuck were you even thinking making me extend my stay with that bastard." Bakugou pointed to his hair, "My hair looks absolutely ridiculous and I haven't learned a fucking thing from that man at all." But he was supposed to be the number three hero. So he had to have been overstretching that, but, he doesn't give a fucking shit about that at this point.

"I'm sure you've learned something from him, Bakugou." She squash the giggle that threatened from her throat, "He's fashion crazy, but he is the number three hero for a reason. That was the reason you choose him, right?"

"That was!" Bakugou jumped out of his seat, staring Himari down, "How am I supposed to become the top hero if I don't get any insight for the top heroes?"

Himari nodded, "Taking the advice of the higher rank heroes is important, but don't let that dictate your views, Bakugou."

"I won't." He snorted at her words. Why was he even saying all of this? People always told him he needed therapy, but he didn't even think of that. People would always label him some kind of mental illness and it would piss him off. Who the hell made them a fucking psychologist or whatever the hell they were called these days? He had to deal with it as a kid and he would have to still deal with it at UA. Those damn media guys from the Sports Festival were trying to make it like he was horrible and had something wrong with him. Well, he would know the real shit here, "Why do people gotta always throw these goddamn labels at my face when they're not even professionals. Say I got some damn issues like autism or something."

Himari sighed, hating the world's way of throwing labels out like they were pitches in an American baseball game. It got on her nerves. It could always screw someone up.

"People always ask you about that?" Even for Tsuki Himari, she had her own pet peeves and that had been one of them, "I'm sorry, Bakugou, but only some professional can diagnose you. They don't have a right to do that."

"Of course they don't fucking do." It frustrated him. He hated the whispers he would get from other people. It took everything in his will not to attack those bastards that dare say they know his problems, "They think everything is easily fixed, easily identified. I hate that, who the hell gives them the fucking right to tell me what they are?!" She could tell there were tears trying to form in the blonde boy's eyes, "Well screw them! They don't fucking do such things like this! They think they understand, but they don't. I'll prove them wrong!"

Himari noticed the mini breakdown he was having, but his heart was in the right place was for certain, "It's not that they get the right. Some people simply don't understand why or what it's like growing up feeling different like everyone else. It's okay, I'm glad you open up to me about that. It's a good mentality to have. Don't get discouraged though if this counseling doesn't help you right away."

"You think I'll get discourage? Don't underestimate me, E-Schemer, I'll win, like I always will." He barked at her causing her to smile.

The session continued, Bakugou had told her a bit of his family. Told her how his dad was pretty afraid of his mom and how his mom was a bit...pushy sometimes. Scary at best, but Bakugou had already said to shut the hell up about that. She had tried to bring Izuku up, but Bakugou had shrugged it off, almost as if he didn't want to believe he did something to his former childhood friend.

Bakugou, had been, like any bullied kid. He suffered a lot around him and took such things and directed it at people his entire life. Emotions hadn't been his thing to say the least. However, she understood that and she recommended him to destress himself often with things he liked to do. Of course he said murder first and she had to tell him not to do such a thing and focus on maybe, murdering a punching bag.

...Okay, it wasn't her best bet at trying therapeutic things, but this should get easier by every session they had.

However, her three clients and Tenya had all been moving in the right direction. She was proud of them, through and through, and she couldn't wait to see what life had in store for them.

As for her own issues, she herself must continue to tred on. She must keep moving forward.


	9. Chapter 9

**Heyo! School is starting back up for me next week and I'm in the middle of switching jobs at the moment so I might not be able to write this as much as I have. It's my birthday today so I decided to give you guys this chapter as a present. Enjoy the show!**

The next day came quickly for UA High. The final exams had been upon the students. Himari had already planned out every detail of how she would be doing her part of the final exam with the two students she would be pitted against.

A man with a copy quirk, and a girl with a supernatural one. In a terrain that was not a wasteland but rather, a city zone. They didn't have explosive quirks, and it gave Himari a huge advantage. She may not be physically strong but her speed and evasive skills had been spot on and due to the time limit Neito had on his quirk, she could easily waste that. She was capable of such things after all, and he didn't even know what kind of quirk she had due to the secrecy of her own quirk. Not to mention that they would have no idea what kind of limitations she had with her quirk anyways. They would have to proceed with caution if they wanted to pass their exam.

It was going to be interesting to say the least. She never thought she would have to play the villain role in any kind of situation. If not, ever thinking she would have to be in some sort of villian act. As if she was a shy new student about to audition for some kind of school play.

"Young Himari!" Came a bold voice and a sudden slam of a hand resting on her shoulder, causing her to jump and back away from the number one hero who had been now standing a few feet away from him. His signature grin, on his face.

"Ahhhh, All Might, good morning!" Himari yelped, trying to calm herself down from All Might sneaking up on her.

Talk about getting startled by him constantly.

All Might chuckled warmly at the woman before lifting his thumb and index finger, clenching the rest of his fingers, "Ah, sorry about startling you, Young Himari." He kept his grin on his face at the woman before resting his arms at his sides, "I heard you're going to be testing some of the Class 1-B students for the practical."

Gripping her notebook tightly where she had put all of her notes on, she feels her face heating up in embarrassment at his words. She closed her eyes tightly before shaking her head quickly, snapping herself out of her nerves. She needed to get a grip, "Ah, yes, I've got a plan for it. I know exactly what I'm going to do, sir."

"I'm sure you'll do great." All Might shot her a thumbs up, "Be sure to give it your all out there."

Himari blinked before she sighed, resting her right hand on her head, "I hope you hold back at least a little, All Might. You might kill them if you use your full power."

All Might laughed, "Don't worry too much about that now. I wouldn't go that crazy." He can at least admit he won't use his full power on his students in front of her. She wasn't going to be one of those people that would mouth it off, "Now, I hope to see how much of a show you put on." And with that said, he started walking away.

She felt her phone buzz as she suddenly saw a text from Yu, also known as Mount Lady. She hadn't talked to her in a few days.

 _Hey, I know you have finals today, but if you wanna come to the mall with me tomorrow, I would totally appreciate it._

Himari blinked, knowing that she had nothing going on tonight. It wouldn't hurt to go out shopping. She had been saving her money up pretty well that she could spend it just a little bit. Besides, going out with Yu sounded like a lot of fun. She wanted to catch up with her.

Himari started typing back to her, sending her message.

 _Ah, I'd love to, Yu. Do you want to meet at sixteen hundred tomorrow?_

A minute later, Yu texted her back.

 _Sure thing, Himari, I'll see you then!_

Himari couldn't help but smile. UA had been a lot nicer than she ever expected. She enjoyed the peaceful life of being able to just counsel students and not dirty her hands any further. She wouldn't want to hurt anyone if she didn't have to. While she was technically dirting her hands today, it wasn't without a good reason. To help the students get stronger and offer her guidance.

It would be a great day. At least, she hoped.

XXXX

The erie area of the Eight Precepts of Death came into view of the metallic longways that would settle any sane person into uneasiness, mixed with a combination of fear. However, the bird masked man approaching his superior's office had been far used to these parts now. The very eriere hallways were not much to Chronostasis himself.

Finally, he had approach the room, carrying his phone in his hand, having all the information he needed in the power of his fingertips. Technology was very helpful in their research.

"Chisaki, you might wanna look at this."

Chronostasis's voice echoed through the door of his boss's office, wanting to give out the information to him as soon as possible.

Chisaki, also known as the villian Overhaul, looked up at the door from the desk of his office, "You may come in." He told his assistant as Chronostasis opened the door, walking over to the nearby couch, taking a seat across from Overhaul.

"Sir, there's this video going around, and it looks like someone our men encountered beforehand." He showed the picture of a female girl with short pale pink hair and brown eyes, "This was videotaped in the Sports Festival, and get this," He pulled out an article, "look at this."

Chisaki looked over at the article. His eyes, narrowing at it. It was about a young hero's encounter with the Hero Killer Stain. Overhaul hadn't been a fan of him, honestly. Much less, he found Stain's ideology to be flawed, disgusting at that as it helped the disease called Hero Syndrome spread even more. These villains that were rising due to Stain's ideology, Overhaul found them to be just using the term villain as a name to go by, only wanting to promote the disease that needed to be cured.

He found it disgusting that this was the very thing overshadowing All For One's endeavors.

However, he hadn't been interested in the now arrested villain, he had been interested in the woman. He recognizes her as someone their men had a tangle with from the news only a mere few months back. The woman, if he had remembered correctly, had a quirk that was proven to be useful despite the only one time he had read about it after his subordinate returned after the failed mission. A very time where he hadn't wanted to revert to using his quirk, but his patience had, unfortunately been thinned.

Besides, he hated disobedience and someone that had that on top of a lingering amount of anxiety

This woman, had a emotion manipulating quirk. How powerful, how destructive, and useful that was. She didn't need to have the audacity to fight physically, she merely could kill people by looking at them and she could get away with killing if she needed to with that very quirk.

He had been trying to track her for recruitment. However, the girl had been able to hide her tracks well, keeping herself from the view of the public. How ironic, as it seems she was now working in a prestigious hero school. One that had been able to give a massive amount of attention to anyone working there.

She didn't seem like the type that wanted this kind of attention, but if she had been avoiding attention since that incident, she had made a mistake. A very, _very_ grave one.

"Ah," Overhaul's usual dry voice, shredded a hint of amusement and satisfaction, "it seems one of the ones who interfered with us a while back has came back into the public eye." Once one had an encounter with the Yakuza, it was certainly hard to get out of another. He rested his elbows on the desk, resting his head on his hands, "I'm glad you've brought this up to me, Chrono."

"I take it you would like me to send someone to keep an eye on her?" He asked curiously, knowing the question had been half rhetorical. Of course Overhaul would've wanted to investigate her. She was incredibly useful.

"Yes," Overhaul nodded, narrowing his eyes, "but let them know to tread very carefully. The last thing we need is All Might trying to tamper with our plans." As it stood, All Might was someone he wanted to avoid by any means. The other pro heroes wouldn't of been a problem for him, but All Might, he was someone he'd prefer to avoid by any means, "Take your time with this, Chrono. We don't need to cause any bloodshed if necessary." When the opportunity arose, they could snag her.

Chrono nodded, "Yes, sir." And with that said, he stood from his seat and left the room.

Overhaul knew someone like this E-Schemer hero would be someone of use to him. Considering how capable that quirk was, how powerful it was in of itself. It would be a fine asset to the Yakuza. He wasn't going to traffic her as she was far too valuable for that.

He at least hoped the spy Chrono had planned to watch her was aware of the chances of tipping off UA if they did this wrong.

XXXX

Vlad King had greeted her the moment she had arrived to see Class 1-B in action. Some of the teachers had already been there. She remembered a few of them from before. Hizashi, Vlad himself, and…

She noticed the Principal was in here as well. Goodness.

"Good morning, E-Schemer." She looked down to see Nezu standing next to her, waving his small paw at her, "It's good to see you helping with the finals."

She gives the Principal a small smile, nodding, "It sure is." She never thought Nezu was a fighter. He seemed so peaceful in their own interactions, "How are you faring this morning?"

"Great, thank you. I look forward to what you have planned for the students." Nezu smiled at her as she nodded firmly, feeling a bit nervous about this test.

"Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do as well. I didn't think you were much of a fighter." Himari told him while he laughed.

"You and I are a lot alike in that regard, don't you agree?" Nezu told her with a mischievous smile that she almost wrote off as a bit sadistic? Was that the right word? Nezu never came off with that kind of emotion to her before, "We don't need explosive offensive quirks to be useful and in this society, that can be a powerful entity that can take your enemy by surprise."

"Umm, yes, I think so." She rubbed the back of her head nervously, "Although I think it's good to avoid conflict if you can."

A positive hum in agreement was given from the principal, nodding. Many of the other teachers came in as well soon. Some waved to her and she waved back in return but the students had been coming in as well.

It had been a lot of pressure in the air from the students, and Himari understood why. She had been in that kind of position in the past. Exams were the worst.

As the class began their final exams, she noticed that everyone had been winning them so far. All the students had took their chances and gone through the escape gate or put the handcuffs on their opponents.

Now, it was Himari's turn to challenge them. She was standing out in the middle of a street in a city like setting. In fact, it kind of reminded her of her neighborhood, actually.

She had plenty of room to act stealthy around here. Plenty of ways to handle the situation. If anything, she was at a decent advantage. Her opponents would have to outsmart her in order to make it to the escape gate, and she would be tracking their movements.

The test needed to begin. They would think this would be the easiest way to handle this, but Himari had always been someone who was calculating in battle. Maybe a little too much, but she wanted the students to pass their exam fair and square. That meant she couldn't hold back on them.

The erie sounds of what sounded like ghosts came into her ears. Her mind, hearing the hushed voices speak louder and louder of some kind of language that she didn't understand at all.

Then, Neito had came out of one of the alleyways instantly, charging at her, lifting his fist to try to slam into her face, but she had sidestepped it to dodge. Pivoting into a ninety degree angle, she immediately jumps back out of his grasp, keeping her distance.

With Neito's quirk the way it was, if he didn't touch her, he wouldn't be able to copy her quirk. Plus he really didn't know what her quirk was. None of the students really knew what her quirk was. To reveal it in battle this early wouldn't be the best of options. It's best she keeps her distance and run out the clock as much as she could.

Although, she gotta give them credit for facing her head on like this.

"I gotta admit, E-Schemer," Neito's grin widened and he looked at her, "I didn't think you had that good of skills to evade. Then again, you're not much of fighter, are you?"

Suddenly, Himari felt herself get suddenly pinned to the ground by some kind of invisible force. She realized who it soon was and that it was Reiko who stood above a building, staring her down.

This was their plan huh? She was giving them credit, they weren't taking any risks in this situation. Neito had the cuffs in his hands, preparing to put them on Himari himself.

"This was just easy as I expected it to be…"

Himari's brown pupils suddenly glowed pink around them, activating her quirk as she stopped Neito in his tracks, giving him some feeling of anxiety bursting through his body. Something Himari had on a near daily basis that could really help at this point. He hesitated which gave Himari the opportunity to kick away the invisible force and slamming them straight into Neito, using them to knock him down to the ground.

The moment she locked onto Reiko, she activated her quirk again. This time, by implanting the same anxiety, making her cancel out the voices she had been implanting into Himari's head. In a matter of seconds, Himari had been in behind her, grabbing her by the arm and flipping her downwards. Reiko's back made impact with the ground as a result.

Himari admitted, that was a brilliant strategy, but now that her quirk was shown, it was a matter of time before they both figured out what was going on with her.

They had to do it before time was up, after all, and Himari didn't intend on giving them that. They'd have to treat this like a real battle. They would have to win their way to passing their exam.

She would do her best to school them.

Her left foot went backwards. Her right, slammed into Reiko's back, intending on keeping her pinned. However, Himari was aware that Reiko had a power like her own. She didn't need to get physically strong to be a strong force. Himari still knew she was at an advantage. However, she was surprised they found her so quickly. It looks like Reiko's quirk had been the cause of that. If she was able to make noises not there in reality and manipulate a ghost, it was an incredible and useful power. One she feels would definitely be an unstoppable force as she grew older and was able to utilize her quirk better.

If she kept them at bay like this, there was no way either of them were going to pass.

She suddenly felt a powerful force of wind hit her and in a matter of moments, she was knocked away, rolling in the concrete. This was hard to figure out, especially since the ghost was unable to be seen.

Then, the screeching voice she heard moments before, were now throwing off her focus. Her mind wasn't thinking. She needed to take out Reiko and quickly, but at this rate, she wasn't going to get that chance unless she could stop the ghost she was controlling.

She struggled to get both of their emotions to change. Her pupils, glowing around them once again, trying to get their nerves tight, making them unable to figure out if they could beat her or not. Maybe she could get the ghost to stop attacking too.

She could tell they were struggling. There was still time for them to beat her and pass the exam. However, she was going to have to take one of them down now.

She decided to increase the anxiety on their bodies, having them feel as if they were going to die, but they weren't. Panic attacks couldn't kill you, but they could still do damage to their mind. It's what made her quirk so dangerous. She could see their bodies tightening from the anxiety that was shooting through their body. They were still unaware of what was going on it seemed, but she was certain they would figure it out soon.

Their anxiety would send them into a fight or flight mood soon enough and whatever they one they chose, they would be impaired by judgement because of the it. They would have to tread carefully.

She almost felt bad that she might be doing this much damage to their brain, but they would have to deal with anxiety when there was a real opponent, and they wouldn't be as merciful as she was being. She blinked, stopping her quirk as it was starting to dry her eyes out now. Yet another disadvantage of her quirk, but it had been the first time she had to blink forcefully through this battle.

They needed to figure out a way out of here if they had wanted to win.

She'd shot behind Reiko in a matter of seconds, pulling out her brass knuckles, twirling them in her right hand, slamming her right fist into her back, sending her flying into the building.

She mentally apologized to Reiko and Neito, but she would not hold back on them now. Although the metal shackles on her wrists were a bit heavy, she was still continuing to strive.

Before Neito could charge at her, her quirk activated again. This time, trying to get him to sleep, indicating the exhaustion she had felt this morning before she had shown up to UA.

"Tch." She heard Neito growl, indicating that he had been annoyed with this and she frankly, couldn't blame him. He was certainly resilient, the both of them, she had given them that much.

They were turning into amazing heroes and Himari knew they would get better. However, she wasn't about to stop now.

Neito had tried to hit Himari and make contact with her. However, the sleepiness he had felt was plaguing his mind. He was already tired from the anxiety he had still been feeling and while it wasn't as strong as moments ago, he knew he was slowly, but surely falling asleep. He couldn't back down, not as Class 1-A was passing their exams, and he was there, damned to fall behind the very class he had been dying to surpass.

And yet, while his mind resisted, his body, did not. He immediately dropped to the ground, falling asleep.

In an instant, Himari blinked again, taking her quirk power off of him. She now needed to deal with Reiko.

Suddenly, a fist connected with Himari's face, knocking her into the building next to behind her. She coughed, trying to catch her breath. She coughed some blood into her fist before realizing that Reiko has grabbed Neito and started rushing to the escape gate.

She started to charge at them, intending on not letting them win. The moment her quirk activated though, they had already passed through the escape gate.

They had passed. She couldn't help but find herself proud of that. Reiko was a very capable fighter who did her best to keep Himari on her toes. She had been impressed with Neito too. They were both very capable fighters.

She put a hand on her chest, sighing to herself happily. It made her smile really, just to see how capable the students all were. Even after her own match, she watched the others with joy.

Then she came to terms with that due to knocking Neito out during his practical, he failed the exam. He did well though and she commended him in that regard. He'd have to do the remedial classes during summer camp. Which reminded her, just what was she going to do during summer break?

After the briefing afterwords, Himari began walking out of the room, yawning to herself. Those kids took a lot out of her. No matter how prepared she was, she knew she was a bit rusty. Even though she often liked to keep herself in shape, she was still rusty.

"Himari?" Someone spoke, snapping her out of her thoughts before she turned over to see Aizawa standing there, "I heard about how good you were in the practical. You challenged those kids well according to Nezu." However, that really wasn't what he was here for.

"Ah, oh um thank you so much. They were fantastic on their own." Himari scratched the back of her head nervously before shooting a small smile to him, "I can see why Classes 1-A and 1-B are so competitive with one another. Even after the Sports Festival."

"Yes," Aizawa nodded in agreement, "They can always knock someone out of their spot in the Hero Coarse and take it as their own." He closed his eyes before sighing, "However, that wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, "You see, the summer camp is coming up, and all of classes 1-A and 1-B will be going. This means the students you've been seeing are going to that trip. Only myself, Vlad King, Principal Nezu, and the pro heroes that will be assisting the summer camp will know the location of it. It's because of the USJ incident we wanted to keep it under wraps." He narrowed his eyes, "However, I want you to come with us." After seeing Himari's confused face, he continued, "I know you aren't completely fitted for battle. However, those students still need your counselling. I won't let their camp be a break off their session with you."

Himari listened to his words and nodded. So, guess that's what she'll be able to do in the meantime of summer break. It was certainly going to be interesting to say the least, "Ah, I see." Then, another thought occurred to her. Why wasn't All Might coming along? Wait, the USJ attack read All Might as the primary target for the villains. That had to be why, "That makes a lot of sense." She really didn't know what else to say at that very moment.

"I'd like to have you work with me on the remedial classes." Aizawa continued, "Your quirk can help calm the students down if need be."

The glint in his eyes made Himari a little nervous. She knew how strict Aizawa was on his students. He was kind of...intimidating.

"Um...r-right." She nodded in agreement, understanding, "I'll look forward to it." She bows in respect.

Aizawa handed her a piece of paper, indicating the information for the trip and much of the details, "It'll be good to work with you." He told her before walking away.

As he walked away, Himari felt her phone buzz. Opening it, she saw it was Yu.

 _Hey, are we still on for tomorrow? Just making sure you weren't too tired after the practical._

Himari typed up her message quickly, sending it.

 _Of course! I'm heading home and I'll be on my way afterward._

XXXX

After getting ready to go to the mall the next day, Himari put on some normal civilian clothes. Her pink hair had a headband on top of it. Her white blouse was sleeveless with a red thread around it, tied into a bow. Her tan skirt was filled with patterns of pink flowers and was slightly flowery. Her one inch, heeled black sandals covered the part of the middle of her foot all the was to wrap around her ankles.

She might've dressed up a little too much, she'll admit, but she was happy she was hanging out with a friend. She was a little tired and all, but she was glad she didn't cancel out because she was drained from the practical. It was some much needed fresh air.

It's a good thing she cleaned herself up. Didn't need Yu to get really concerned about her. Besides, the students didn't do too much to her. It was just some scratches an all, nothing unusual for a pro hero to have, really.

She was running to head over to the mall, hoping she wasn't running too late. She also hoped Yu wasn't too mad at her for running a little late. She underestimated the time.

It's a good thing she was wearing low heels or she would be falling on her face a lot.

Finally, she arrived in the center of the mall, watching a various amount of people walking around and enjoying themselves. She was looking around, trying to find Yu. She looked around for a good minute before she pulled out her phone, about to text Yu.

Suddenly there was a tap on her shoulder. Turning, she saw Yu standing there, giving a small smile, in civilian clothes herself.

"Hey, Himari." She grinned before she grabbed her shoulders, loving the outfit she was wearing, "I love your outfit. It really suits you."

Himari blushed, covering her face with her hands before smiling beneath them, "Ah-ah, thank you. You look really pretty too." It had been the first time she saw Yu in a outfit other than her hero costume.

"Thank you so much." Yu chuckled, looking over at all the stores, "So where do you wanna start?"

"Not sure." Himari responded, thinking about some things she might need. Jewelry, some new clothes, and some shoes. She could go look at some other stuff too. Her headphones at home were starting to go out too, "I do want to check out some new clothes. That's the first thing on my list, and we could get some food in a bit." She looked around at the shops, wondering what exactly she wanted to do first. So many choices.

"I have quite a bit I wanna get, but all the outfits are super cute." Yu told her, looking around at the variety of choices around them, "And there's the entire mall to still scope around for too. Man, talk about the struggle. I don't wanna blow up too much money."

"Don't worry, I won't let you." Himari smiled, "Just tell me the budget you're on, and I'll stop you." She used to do that for friends a lot in the past.

Yu smiled, "You're the best, Himari. Okay, I'll only limit myself to four outfits and a couple of necklaces. How about that?" She could do that right? It totally wouldn't be a problem.

She walked over to the nearby dress shop, seeing one of the dresses in the window for display, "Ahhh, totally not bad right?" She then looked at the price tag and almost cringe, "Oh no, this is such a nightmare. With that kind of price, I'll only be able to spend it on one other thing."

Himari couldn't help but giggle at her words, "Yeah, don't buy it then. Get your stuff in quantity and quality combined." She was not wanting her friend to blow her money out on just one thing now.

"The jewelry store seems like my area then for now." Yu sighed disapprovingly. The dress was so cute though. It sucks she wasn't going to get it, but maybe the price will go down soon? She hoped, then she could really get that dress.

"Don't sweat it, I'm sure there are cheaper places around here." Himari told her, waving her hand around. She really wasn't feeling the jewelry store at the moment. She could go look at a new purse? Hers was starting to get old. But if Yu wanted to look for jewelry, she would go along with her. It wouldn't bother her.

"I mean, if you don't want to look at jewelry, you can totally go somewhere else. I don't have a problem with that." Yu tried to tell Himari who shook her head.

"No, I came here to hang out with you. That would be rude." She didn't want to make Yu feel bad, but she didn't want to leave her especially when their plan was to hang out.

"It won't be rude at all if I tell you it's okay. Besides, friends do this all the time, you know?" Yu shrugged, "If you do wanna tag along, you can. I can just tell you're not too interested in going to the jewelry store. I'll text you when I'm done and we can meet back up here."

Himari wanted to protest but Yu was already walking towards the jewelry shop. It looked like there was no way of talking her out of it now. She sighed, time to find out where the purse store was. She had to try to find a map first.

She wandered around the mall aimlessly, trying to find the map that she needed to find out where she needed to go next. Ah, she needed to find it. She didn't want to keep Yu waiting when she texted her that she was ready to go somewhere next. She had to find it soon.

Suddenly, someone came into view of her, walking towards her. It was a man with a black hoodies on and black pants. He had his hood up too. As he got closer to walking to her, she was able to see his face. The scars below his eye, it reminded her of someone.

Then, it suddenly hit her as the two crossed paths. She saw the red eyes that had been vacant in her life for years. She feels uneasiness in her chest, mixed with relief. Her breath, caught in her throat. Her brown eyes, widening in shock. Her chest and muscles, straining from the anxiety floating into her body.

Is that…

No, it couldn't be. It wasn't him. It couldn't of been him. He was dead, among those that died that fated night that she wouldn't ever forget. Her small, pale hands, trembling as it felt like they had been looking at each other for far longer.

He looked shock too. No, it was true? It was him?

Himari didn't know how to feel right now. She wanted to ask how he was alive, why he was alive, what happened to him, but she had been unable to utter a word out of her tenacious lips that unable to speak.

Stop...this couldn't be happening right now, but she couldn't unconnect the dots that had already been merged in her head.

The man that had been staring at her, was her old friend. The very person she thought was dead. She didn't know how to explain her emotions. She wasn't able to speak but merely one word.

"T-Tenko?"

 **I know, I know guys, the most recent chapter had the details of Class 1-A and 1-B battling in the manga and while I'm excited about it, I know that my headcanon for Reiko's could get debunk. However, that's okay as this would be made before the chapter even hit, and I can always edit it.**

 **Now to some review replies since my last week's been utterly chaotic and couldn't respond to the user ones.**

 **fencer29: Oh my god, I know right? It's amusing to watch Bakugou in therapy. I'm looking forward to writing him after the Summer Camp Arc. Also, as for her joining, I think it would be a great idea considering how much steel patience Himari has. (She's probably the only one that can handle Bakugou without losing her cool Lol) As for the practical, you got your anwser this chapter. Thank you so much for your support!**

 **ReaderJ: Ayyyy yeah saw that and trying to correct it. Although the way you edit chapters on is such a pain now. I miss the old days. Anywho, thanks for commenting and continuing to read 3**

 **You guys have been so great! I appreciate all of your support and look forward to updating hopefully soon!**


	10. Chapter 10

"T-Tenko?"

That name had torn out of Himari's vocal cords. The very person he had thought was dead for so many years, had been staring into his eyes. Tomura was shocked, shaken by the sight of the very girl he thought looked like Himari's sham, but he was now coming to terms that his childhood friend was alive. He knew her, he knew her, and she was alive.

Seeing her here had shaken him, shooken him to his very core. It made dark memories and good ones that had been so buried within his entire being for years come flooding back into his mind. Their friendship as children, their bond, the way they had been their own shields while their entire village mocked them for their quirks, spit them, made them feel as if they were nothing.

And yet, he was angered, angered that the person who had given him a shred of kindness besides his sensei and parents, was on the side of those _damn heroes_.

His emotions were on edge, begging him to run away, begging him to just _get away from her._

He is unable to say another word, knowing for a fact that he came here to get some answers, and they weren't something she could answer anyways.

"Himari!"

The sudden shout of a female voice and the sight of a blond haired girl gave Tomura an opportunity to run off. He had wanted to talk with her for some reason, but he had other business to take care of.

Himari turned over to see Yu running over to her, "Hey, you didn't answer my text when I let you know I was done." She was holding a bag. Her blue eyes, looked concern at Himari's facial expression that reflected the surface of shock and a hint of sadness. As if she was grieving.

"Oh? S-Sorry, Yu-chan…" She was still in shock about Tenko. Had that been really him? She was about to introduce her old friend to her. The moment she turned over to where Tenko once stood, he was already gone.

"Are you alright, Himari?" Yu asked her, knowing she looked a little bit freaked out right now. She knew Himari had some nerves, but this is the most uneasy she had ever seen her.

"Umm…" She hesitated, not really knowing what to really say. In truth, she didn't know how she felt right now. Part of her wanted to be relieved of seeing her old friend alive, but part of her was concerned. There was something in the pit of her stomach that made her ill at his presence. She didn't know why, but she knew she wanted to talk to him. She wanted to cross paths with him again, talk with him.

"I'm fine." She sent a small smile at her friend, trying to shake off the anxiety she had felt from seeing Tenko, "Don't worry about it. Let's move onto the next level. I think I'm done with this floor of the mall."

Yu wasn't really sure if she really could believe Himari, but she didn't want to break boundaries so she decided to shrug it off, "Okay, let's go then. I really wanna see more of the fashion stores around here. Maybe get some cute shoes at the cute retail store upstairs."

A firm nod was given at the woman's words as they continued to shop. Himari tried to be happy through the shopping, but she really couldn't be. It kind of hurt really, she was here to have fun with Yu, but she had been thinking about Tenko the entire time. She couldn't get her mind off of the encounter the two of them just had. She realized he matched the description of the guy running the League of Villains. He was doing all this horrible stuff? The Nomus in Hosu? The connection he had to Stain? He was trying to kill All Might in the USJ attack?

She didn't understand this at all. Why was Tenko going out and wanting to kill heroes? Could it be the reason why he was able to live through that night was because some villain saved him that night and he hated heroes for not saving him and his family? Maybe even her as well? Well, at least, not till now.

It did make sense if Tenko became a villain if no one came to save him that night. It made sense if he blamed the heroes for his screwed up life. It made sense if he blamed the heroes for her once so called demise that he thought she had. It made sense for his anger, his hatred, for society. A lot of people wouldn't of get it, but Himari did. She witness how horrible that night was. There were times when she was growing up where she would have terrible flashbacks and nightmares from that night. She didn't need to know how bad that was.

She felt bad for Tenko, she really, really did, and she had started to believe that if she was able to find him that night, there wouldn't be a problem. There wouldn't be this crazy villain group hurting the world. Tenko wouldn't have decided to go on a path of villainy.

She wished she had been stronger, faster, able to get there, ignored the pleas of the other pro heroes that had dragged her away. She was close, she was so close. She could've saved him. Years of regret and pain had sunk into her very soul. She hated this, this couldn't be happening. Even if everything added up to make sense, that couldn't be the case. Right? Right?

And yet, she couldn't find any reason for her judgements to be wrong. As much as she had wanted it no to be this way, it was this way and that was the reality she had to stay in.

She didn't want to stay in that reality, as much as if she was right.

She just continued to try to act normal, spending time with Yu before someone approached them. A security guard at the mall.

"You two look familiar." He pointed at the two, "Are you guys pro heroes?"

Yu nodded, "We are. Is something the matter?"

"There's a situation in the mall, we're looking for someone who seems to be in the League. He was here and interrogated a student." He shows them the detail description he had gotten from before, "If you two can help the search, we'd appreciate it. We're evacuating everyone."

Himari knew right then that her fears had been recognized. What was Tenko here doing interrogating a student though? It didn't make any sense.

Regardless, she really did want to use this opportunity to find Tenko and confront him about what was going on. Why he was doing this? Why was he even here? How did he live? So many questions she needed to get answers to.

Without any warning, she gave the security guard a firm nod before running without a second thought, hearing Yu try to call her back before Himari told her, "Don't worry, we'll cover more ground if we split up."

And she didn't even look at her friend. Brown eyes, narrowing in frustration. Just what the heck was Tenko planning? What was his agenda? What was even happening.

She continued running and running, looking around everywhere in the mall, but she couldn't find her old friend. She couldn't find him, but she couldn't give up. If he was still around, she needed to talk to him. She needed answers.

She decided to check the back area, indicating that it would be the best place to hide around. Running over into the narrow and pale colored hallways, passing by a snack machine before she spotted a black shadow towards the end of the hallway before bolting again, running to turn left where she had seen it, opening the door, revealing nothing.

She panted before she saw something from the corner of her eye. Another shadow figure. She rushed towards it as she saw the dark figure turning into an alleyway before she ran into that direction, stopping in that direction.

The man's back was turned to her, unable for Himari to tell who it was or their own expression. The tension increased in the alleyway, making Himari's breathing become harder, louder. She needed this.

"Tenko? Is it really you?" Himari wondered, wanting to know if it was really him. She needed to know.

"Don't call me by that name." A deep voice snapped. A gritting of teeth, following. He hated hearing his name after all these years. He had abandoned that name. He abandoned it the moment All for One took him in and the start of his hatred for heroes started.

And to see, her, _her_ of all people, standing there with these fucking heroes, it really pissed him off. He clenched his fists, "How dare those damn heroes take even this from me." He turned over to her, removing his hood.

Himari's eyes widened. It was him, it really was him. She knew already, but she wanted to stay in denial. She wanted to be wrong.

Himari's eyes narrowed in sadness, hating this, hating everything about this. Why out of all the people she cared about that had to be on the opposite side of her, why did it have to be him?

"What?" Himari was confused at his words, not understanding for a second before it hit her. He was mad she was on the heroes side.

"You should've just stayed dead." He scratched his neck on both sides, "Damn, damn, damn…" It had to be an illusion to him. This was not supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be dead, damn it.

Himari didn't know how to feel about those words. She hated this too, but she wouldn't wish him to be dead. Even if she knew he was alive, she wouldn't want him to be dead.

Tomura hadn't wanted this, he hated this. Did she have to be on that side? No, she was brainwashed by the side of those fucking heroes. He didn't want to kill her, but he really wished he wouldn't of seen her.

"Tenko…" Himari's breath was caught in her throat, finally able to utter some words to the man that was once his old friend, "please, tell me what happened to you." She just wanted to know. She was certain she knew, but she wanted to hear the words herself.

"Get away…" Tomura growled, hissing, "You shouldn't even be around here."

Believing her to be dead would've been a blessing compared to this result. How dare they even take her from him. The nerve of them…

She didn't know how to feel about this. She feels as if she is caught in a dream. She feels as if reality is no longer there. Like she's in another dimension. She wanted this all to just be a dream, but it wasn't, it wasn't. She just wanted this all to stop. She didn't want to be on the opposite side of him. She wanted them…

She wanted them to be like what they used to be.

Even though she had wanted answers, she was unable to utter a word. She was just in too much shock now.

"If you wanna know what happened…" Tomura didn't even know why he was standing here any longer, "then I'll tell you, heroes didn't come like they're supposed to do. What a load of crap, this heroic nonsense shit pisses me off the most than anything. People think they're so safe and can go on with their lives peacefully, but they're such fools. Face it, you and I know that all too well." He sighed, "They act like no one can hurt them, but the difference is that they haven't seen what we have had to see. They don't know the world like the two of us, and that's what I don't get." He turned his back to her for a moment before turning back to her, "If you know how fragile this society is, then why waste your resources in trying to heal it, Himari? Why waste your time on a pathetic hero school like UA? Society's safety is very fragile; anyone with a powerful quirk could kill them in a matter of moments." She did it herself when they were kids when her quirk was insanely unstable. She made someone commit suicide for giving him the scar on his lip. And they were kids back then.

He doesn't get why she still clings to this society after everything it did to the both of them. He always knew Himari had been always naive, but he didn't think she would be this bad. Those heroes had her brainwashed.

She was still at a loss for words, now able to utter a single word at the bone piercing words. She can admit, Tenko was right mostly, she couldn't deny that. She was understanding him more. To any other pro hero, that would've been dangerous.

"Your resources are far better at a better cause, don't you think?" Tomura smirked at his words, thinking that this was far better. He couldn't let go, no matter what, she was useful. Her quirk was very useful. He knew that much, and Himari could be swayed. That was for certain.

"Better cause?" Himari repeated, trying to break her shock. Deep breaths, inhaled and exhaled from her lips. She was trying calm her nerves down from the shock that was still enveloping her body, wanting it to exit.

"Don't be ridiculous, Himari." Tomura chuckled, "You of all people get what I mean." He reached a hand out. A small gesture that indicated for her to go on his party, "Why don't you join my party? My party will win the game. There's no doubt about that."

What? Join him? But there was other people at UA she cared about too. It wasn't that she didn't care about him, she did, but she couldn't just leave them either.

She didn't want to choose either or. She didn't…

"You seem so wrapped around those blasted heroes. If you need a push, Himari, I'll gladly give you one." Tomura gave her a smirk before walking a bit closer to her, placing a hand on her chin, making her look him in the eyes, "I'll find you in the future, and you can think of my offer until then, but I'll expect an answer when we meet again."

And with that, he turned away and walked out of the alleyway, leaving Himari alone.

She dropped to her knees, unable to utter a word. She couldn't just join him. Even if some part of him was right, she had ties to the other side, and she couldn't just betray the others either. She trusted them, she was warming up to them. She liked her new life at UA, but this, she never prepared for this.

She never thought she would find the friend that she thought was dead for so many years on the opposite side. This wasn't right, this wasn't right at all…

Unknowing to the woman who was walking back to the mall, A bird masked man on the rooftop had heard the entire conversation before disappearing into the shadows.

After that encounter, Himari told them officials that she hadn't found the man that was running around the mall that they had been looking for. She didn't want them to know about her connection to Tenko, and plus, she was honestly still coping with it all. She was coping that her old friend that hadn't see her as a monster was out trying to destroy society and plunge it into chaos.

She wishes she couldn't see his side, but she could, she could understand why he turned like this and she didn't hate him. Even if she was now aware that he was the boss, she couldn't hate him despite the people he's killed. Because of her connection to him.

There was a pit in her stomach that didn't go away for at all. Even when she had sit through some of the plan for the summer camp location the next few days, she couldn't focus, she stayed quiet, listening through the entire thing. She wouldn't talk, she would just nod in understanding.

Aizawa, Nezu, a group of heroes called the Wild Wild Pussycats, and Vlad King and herself had been the only ones in the room during the meeting. They were to take precautions in the sight due to the Villians that had attacked them before.

It really, set Himari on edge. Could they know about it? Could they know about the summer camp?

Could that be when she saw Tenko again? What would she do? It was such a hard decision. She didn't want to hurt people.

She didn't know what to do anymore. She was lost now. The built up confidence she had gained from UA had disappeared. She cancelled seeing Daichi and Natsuki and her plans with Yu as well.

The meeting was adjourned. Himari had grabbed her things and about to head off before hearing a throat being cleared, turning over to see Principal Nezu.

"Himari, may I have a word with you?" He asked, noticing the woman's behavior lately.

Himari swallowed the anxiety building in her throat. She didn't want to talk, she didn't want to. She just wanted to go home and get some rest after packing for this trip.

"I…" Himari trailed off, trying to find the right word, tightening the grip on her bag, "I apologize, I have a lot of work to do before we leave for the camp tomorrow."

She started walking towards the door, but Nezu's voice still called to her.

"Surely, you can spare a few minutes." Nezu told her, trying to get her to talk to him. It wasn't just him who had noticed her anxiety, it was the others as well. The staff at UA had all been concerned for her. She hadn't been the same person lately.

Himari didn't know what to say at that. He had a good point, but she didn't know if she could tell him. Would he think she was a traitor? Would he kick her out of UA for having a connection to the man running the League of Villains? Was she really meant for healing like she had thought all these years? Or was she damned to fall underneath the hell of this world and the people who had quirks like hers that were extremely useful. The attention she had gotten from UA and the Hero Killer incident really had set her on edge.

She always knew that she could be a target for villains because of her quirk, but she still wanted to help people. Maybe it was best to lay low, maybe it was best for Principal Nezu to know that she was connected to Shigaraki because of their past. Then again, she could totally go into jail if she told him.

Exhaling through her nostrils, she nodded, "Yeah, okay…" She turned over to him, "What did you want?" Well, it was now or never for her. She didn't know if she could get the guts to tell him, but it was worth a shot right?

"Have a seat, Himari," Nezu motioned her to the seat she was once sitting in a few minutes ago. Himari did so as he continued, "I've received word from the staff members and Mount Lady that you haven't been doing so well since you were in the mall. I wanted to see if you were doing alright. The staff's been worried about you."

She didn't want them to worry about her. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, unable to make eye contact with her superior, "Sorry, I've just wanted some time to myself lately." She tightened her grip on her shorts, "I've just been socially drained lately, is all."

"I see." Nezu nodded at her words, and sent a small smile at her, "It's alright if you need a break. It's understandable from the way things have been." She hadn't really gotten much of a break, "Still, even if you're the counselor here, you have people here that can support you of the staff if you need anything at all to calm your nerves down, including myself as well. I'll admit, I didn't expect you to just go through all of that during your first few weeks here at UA, but know we're here to lend a ear if needed." He'd wanted to question her more, knowing very well she was trying to sugarcoat things. Hence why he had decided to say all of this now.

Himari hesitated, resting a finger on her chin before closing her eyes, giving a small smile, "Thank you, Principal Nezu, but…" Come on, tell him. It was better this way to tell him than later right? So why, why is she hesitating? If she gets kicked out of UA, she could go back to her real life, live a normal life. She could stay in the shadows like she used to, without any attention. So why is she hesitating to not tell him?

Perhaps she really wanted the students she had seen during her work here go beyond their limits? Maybe she wanted to see them go through their lives without any issues?

"I'm sorry." She let out a sigh, "I'm prepared for the worst when this gets addressed…" She looked up at him, "During my time at the mall, I crossed paths with a familiar man. That familiar man was Shigaraki himself." She swallowed, "Please, don't get mad for this, but I was having a hard time coping with this but...Shigaraki Tomura is my old friend: Shimura Tenko. It was hard for me to realize it at first, but, my fears become reality. It really was him, and my heart broke at seeing him. To see him causing all this destruction…"

Nezu had a feeling that was what Himari was so bothered with the last few days. She hadn't told the officials about that. That was dangerous, not telling them. It could've helped them in their investigation, but he had understood why she didn't. She needed some time to accept it. After all, he knew she knew Tomura when he was under a different name and a different person as well.

Unfortunately, he still needed to take some precautions just in case.

"I understand why you didn't tell the authorities, Himari, but please, if you have any other information on him, you must tell us. It will help us in our investigation…" Nezu began as he heard a slam of hands on the table. He saw tears falling down from Himari's face.

"Why did it have to be him?" She sniffled back a sob, covering her face with her hands, "He was my first friend, the first person to accept me outside of my grandparents. Why did it have to be like this? I hate this."

Nezu could tell that she was broken from the news of her old friend. She was still grieving, still trying to accept her friend was on the opposite side, and no matter what she did, he wasn't going to be swayed. She was dealing with this in her own way. She was trying to close herself off as a result.

"If you decide you no longer want to be a part of UA, I understand." Nezu told the sobbing girl sitting across from him, "It's your choice if you want to continue here, but if you do make the decision to stay here, you must distance your emotions for Shigaraki that you once had. It's dangerous to "

He knew that was a rough decision to make, but he had a feeling that she had wanted to stay despite the very fact she may have to face her old friend again.

"I don't want to leave." She told him, sobbing in between words, "I don't want to give up on him either though. I want to help these students I've taken in. I want to watch them grow beyond their limits. They and UA have given me so much happiness. I just...don't know why this had to happen." She wiped the tears that were falling from her face, "I'm scared for those kids to. Those villains aren't low level thugs anymore. They're a threat."

"Then you understand if you continue being the counselor here at UA, you will have to desensitize yourself from Tomura. As much as you want to believe he might change his mind, I don't see that 's a lost cause at this point." Nezu understood what she meant, but this was better for her. She'd feel better if she detached herself from Shigaraki.

"I think some time away from UA will help that. I'm glad Aizawa decided to have you go along. You helping those kids is something that makes you very happy. I can see how they impact you, but we don't know when the League will attack next. I'd advise you to be prepared for the worst."

Nezu never really did think Himari would betray them. She still cares for the students and wanted to stay for their own progress. That itself, told him she wasn't some kind of traitor. If she was, she wouldn't of said anything to him.

"I think that's all. Make sure to relax and get some rest for the summer camp." He told her, walking over to her to put a hand on her shoulder, "We believe in you. It'll be hard to do this, but it's better this way. We're here for you."

Something made Himari not want to believe that though. She still wanted to help Tenko, make him realize his crazy endeavors, and she knew she would eventually have to see him again.

XXXX

Shigaraki Tomura wandered the late night abandoned streets with a wicked grin on his face. Yes, yes, everything was about to fall into place. To think All For One got that information of where those brats were at so easily.

His master was a freaking genius. A master at that.

It was a wondrous day to be alive. Despite his small setback on Himari, Tomura had been confident she would see things his way. She was always far too sweet and had a soft spot for him. He hadn't forgotten their past and to have Himari's quirk at his disposal would be even more grand for his cause.

It's all All Might's fault she had chosen the wrong path, but that was nothing he couldn't fix. With some swaying, some convincing, and he had that planned. Even if she rejects, he still had a plan.

He was holding two pictures. One was of Himari's grandparents. The other, was of a child and his mother. The information All For One had given him on this as well helped.

He would get his two new recruits soon enough. No matter what. He had the game set and three different plans set up. He didn't need to use hostages but he was well prepared if it was needed after all.

The game would be starting soon! 


	11. Chapter 11

The morning of when they would depart for the camping trip had arrived. Himari certainly had better days, and she was still taking in what happened a few days ago.

Tenko, her friend…

Her childhood friend was now supposed to be an enemy. An enemy…

Could she really go on like this? Leaving UA wasn't something she had wanted to do but at this point…

No, she needed to stop. Tenko wasn't an enemy. At least, not to her, he wasn't. She couldn't just ignore what they had when they were kids. Although she knew they would meet again, she still couldn't help but be worried when that day had come. Would she have to betray one or the other? Would she fall from the grace that she had built up from all these years? The recovery and peacefulness of her life, being stripped away from her. What could she do? Would she have the strength to carry herself further? Or will she live in this wallow for the rest of her life?

She couldn't just live like this. She couldn't just let all of this suffocate her.

She continued to walk to the school, having all the stuff she needed for the next few weeks. She heard her phone buzzed to see it was Yu again.

 _Good luck on the summer camp trip! Wish I could totally go with you! Have fun! Also, please tell me you're alright! You haven't been in the best spirits lately, and I'm honestly worried about you. It isn't like you to respond to messages days later_

Himari bit her lip hand begun to shake, and her whole body feeling as if she had been hit by a bus with all the sadness and anger she had been feeling. She couldn't keep up like this.

She heavily sighed, getting the courage to reply, but not telling Yu of the details of what happened was what she decided. She could easily just say the truth vaguely.

She typed up her response.

 _Sorry, Yu, I've not been in the right space lately. I'll try to enjoy myself away from reality for a bit. The summer camp should help that._

She put her phone away in her pocket again, yawning as she continued to walk to UA. The next month was going to be interesting, to say the least. She appreciates the escape from reality a lot; It was much needed.

And now, she knew she couldn't live like this constantly. Having to leave the others just because of Tenko doesn't settle with her; it makes her stomach twist. It makes her hate herself more than ever. She had been through a lot in her life; more things than she can imagine. She's done things that have gotten her into trouble, and yet, she has no regrets. She has no regrets breaking the boy that was once in her care away from a masked member of the Yakuza. No regrets making that man so distorted with his emotions that she was able to beat him up. It was the more violent side that Himari never liked letting out but had no problem if it meant protecting the people she loved close to her heart.

She doesn't regret coming to UA, a place that has welcomed her in open arms. She knows she was putting a target on her back, but she was helping people as she had always wanted to.

She had always carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. She always carried people's burdens on her own shoulders too. No matter what, her heart had always been pure, always wanting to help others.

Because, goodness, if she had a count of how many times the world had broken her down, she would've lost count.

"E-Schemer."

A stern voice broke her out of her thoughts. It was Aizawa, standing by the bus that was to take the students to the summer camp. He gave a small wave to her.

"You're early." He stated to her. Over the last few days, he had noticed that she was a bit distorted, but he knew it was important to give her space.

"Yeah, good morning, Aizawa." She gave a small smile, lifting her right arm up to present a small wave to the hero. Her face, brightening, "You're early as well."

"It's because I have to be." Aizawa deadpanned, wanting nothing more than sleep. He was never a morning person. Much less, a people person, "Why are you here so early, Tsuki?"

"Eh, I like being punctual." She was telling the truth there, but honestly, she wanted to get out of her apartment early. The depressed tension in her apartment had torn her apart. It made her want to get there earlier than she had expected.

Truth be told, Aizawa had been the one to list his concerns about Himari to Principal Nezu. It wasn't in him to step into things that weren't his business. However, All Might and Hizashi had ultimately agreed with him . So, they all technically made their concerns of her well being. The students liked her a lot according to the conversations he had overheard from his students during his classes.

She had done her job well, but she did look better than that day at the meeting for the summer camp. Perhaps Nedzu's talk with her had helped her wind down a bit.

"Ah, that's good, it means you can be a good example to the students then." He pointed out, crossing his arms across his chest, "They seem to be warming up to you."

If Tenko is coming back for her, maybe she should ask Aizawa about teaching her some pointers on combat?

Was she really going to try to take up more combat training? Was that even needed? She couldn't go head to head with people that had an explosive quirk, but she certainly needed the training. She thinks she does at least, especially with UA giving her so much attention that she isn't fond of.

A heavy sigh fell on her lips, "Aizawa, I actually do have something to ask you…" Was she really going to do this? Isn't this supposed to be some kind of a slap in the face to what she was raised to believe? That her hands weren't meant to kill….

No, that wasn't. She mentally notes to herself, trying to suppress that yawn that was begging to come out of her throat. She was nervous, so nervous…

Aizawa noticed his coworker's nerves tightening. He stared at her in silence for a moment before speaking, "What is it?" She reminded him a lot of Midoriya in a way of how nervous she gets and such.

"Oh? Um, well, I um, with the villain activity getting worse, I was wondering…" Get a grip, Himari, you're just asking him to teach you how to fight better, "if you could teach me how to fight a little better."

She was nervous about that? While Aizawa didn't usually take on fellow coworkers for his own personal reasons, Himari made a valid point. Considering the issues with the League lately and her closeness to some of the 1-A students, it was probably wise that she does learn more. Unlike himself, who kept under the spotlight and knew how to handle his own in a fight, he knew Himari had been lacking a lot of battle experience, and she hadn't had too many real fights post graduation according to the knowledge Nedzu had given him. It made sense, giving her job description.

"You make a good point. I must admit, you aren't fitted for battle, but we can definitely have you improve your physical strength." He checked the time. It had been about thirty minutes before the students arrived. Some of them would be here early, but Aizawa doesn't mind training. If anything, it could teach the students that someone who wasn't fit for battle, still had a few tricks. However, they had partially learned that in the USJ.

He couldn't help but want to kill the time, anyway. He couldn't nap unfortunately because he had been waiting for the students to arrive.

He couldn't help but wonder if this would be beneficial to him as well. If there's something in the USJ incident he learned, it was that he needed to be far more flexible in one on one fights.

"Would you be interested in starting this training now?" Aizawa asked, putting on his glasses.

Himari blinked. Her eyes, widening at the question. Weren't the students supposed to be here in like thirty minutes? And what about the other classes that were going on?

"Don't worry, this area is one of the school's quieter ones. Besides, I highly doubt they would be concerned with two Yuuei staff members duking it out." A small falls onto his lips as he assumed a battle stance.

Himari nodded slowly before walking by the bus to place her things before rushing back in the position she was in, pulling out her brass knuckles and assuming a fighting stance, "Then I solemnly accept your challenge." She couldn't help but keep a smile on her face. Almost as if she was going to find this fun. It was like Yuuei was motivating her to get better at fighting despite how negative she had viewed fighting as a whole. It was needed though. If she wanted to continue on her path as a Yuuei counselor and a heroine. With the way her quirk was, she knew now that she had so much attention on her being at Yuuei that she needed this training. She couldn't rely on the shadows alone to protect herself now. This was the time to do it.

Might as well pass the time to do so, in the meantime.

Himari had been trying to figure out what exactly to do against Aizawa. He didn't say anything about using quirks and both of their own quirks weren't flashy so they could easily use this terrain to fight it out with their quirks if necessary. It didn't mean anything was up for grabs

The scarf that Aizawa wore extended towards her in an instant, coming at her at a decent speed. She jumped forward to her right to dodge it, sliding a few feet away. It redirected, however, towards her. However, she managed to avoid it.

Only to have Aizawa arms away from her, lifting his right fist back. She had only seconds to react.

However, even with that, she was able to move out of the way the last second. She felt the sensation of the punch. Although, the scarf came in as Himari tried desperately to keep her distance away from it. She had to keep herself focused on both directions. She activated her quirk, only to realize that it wasn't working. Aizawa's hair had been sticking up now, wrapping the scarf around Himari's ankles and ultimately throwing her upwards and slamming her to the ground.

Aizawa reverted his scarf as he watched Himari get up on her feet. He sees now that she wasn't half bad. Her evasive skills were very impressive. The same thing could be said with her speed. However, he knew one thing she needed and that was the experience.

Wow, already knocked down. Eh, she almost feels embarrassed. She hadn't been the strongest person in the world. That was for certain, but she wasn't expecting to be put down so quickly with such ease. It hadn't even been five minutes since they started to spar like that. Goodness.

"Don't give yourself too little credit, Tsuki." Aizawa tells her, noticing her tense shoulders and the look of disappointment that drained the color out of her face, "You're actually not that bad. Your speed and evasion skills are the strongest. However, what you lack is the battle experience. As someone who was only working as a caseworker before starting at Yuuei, I expected such things." A sigh fell from his lips, "Not to mention that you don't seem like the kind of person that would want to be on the front lines. It makes sense that you need more experience. We can work on that in the future."

Not that bad still meant bad. She groaned to herself mentally. Himari knew she couldn't expect herself to be amazing at fighting instantly. No, she had to go through a lot of hard work to do that.

"Mister Aizawa! Miss Tsuki!" Turning, the two spotted Iida standing a few feet away from them, holding the strap of his backpack in his hand. He waved his hands, "My apologies if I had interrupted your sparring session."

He didn't expect to see two of his teachers fighting like this, he must admit, "I'd enjoy seeing two of the Yuuei's staff learning from one and another." And with this, he squatted down on the rock near him.

Aizawa and Himari had sparred and spared once more after seeing Iida walking into the place they were meeting. They went over techniques about four times before the students kept piling and piling. They decided to end it there as more and more of them came in.

Besides, Himari wasn't gonna be much help counseling the other students if she completely overworked herself.

During the ride there, she was pretty quiet, going through her phone and sending texts to her grandparents, Natsuki, and Yu. It had been pretty nice to actually socialize. She was telling them that she was sorry about everything. Sorry that she had been so distant lately and that she promises she'll talk to them if anything is bothering her. She was also bringing up that she was sharpening her fighting skills. After all, with the League of Villains being a potential thing she might run into, it was the better way to approach the situation, right?

Sure, she didn't know what to do when she saw Tenko again, but baby steps, right? Right?

Well, at least she was trying to feel better. At least she was taking the necessary steps to recovery. With being away from society, it should really help. It'll be good recovery on top of counseling the three students she had taken in.

She can't expect herself to recover right away. She was only human after all.

As the bus came to a stop, she yawned, getting out of her seat, stretching herself out. It was going to be a long day. She couldn't get tired just yet.

"Hey, E-Schemer, I didn't expect you to be here."

The sudden voice of Izuku made Himari nearly jump as he gave a small wave to the counselor. She sent him a small smile as well, yawning once again.

"Hey nerd, you're making all of us lag." Bakugou's voice called out, shoving the boy a bit to make him move.

"Uh, sorry Kaachan," Izuku muttered before continuing to walk down the walkway of the bus and into the steps. Bakugou was about to head off as well before Himari cleared her throat.

Bakugou sent a glare at her, "What the hell do you want, E-Schemer?" He demanded.

"Maybe proposing to use less of a rude tone and more of using your matters, Bakugou." Himari winked at him, still keeping the smile on her face. She kept herself pretty calm around Bakugou.

"WHAT THE HELL? I AM BEING NICE I COULD'VE TOLD HIM TO MOVE BEFORE I MURDERED HIM?!" Bakugou snapped at the pro hero while Himari just laughed lightly causing Bakugou to get even angrier, "DON'T YOU DARE THINK THIS IS FUNNY, E-SCHEMER!"

Bakugou sighed heavily, holding his bag on his shoulder before walking down the stairs. Everyone behind him looked shocked at the way Himari handled it.

"How was she so calm?" The voices of Mina, Kaminari, Hagakure, and Sero came into Himari's ears while she nervously chuckled at their words.

"Well, I'm sure you all handle him without getting angry too on a daily basis." She was waving it off. Sure, she knew she was patient but Bakugou's classmates dealt with him on a daily basis.

"You kidding? He's like super scary most of the time!" Hagakure pointed a finger up.

"I wouldn't be much of a staff member of Yuuei if I couldn't keep myself calm around a student." She grinned, rubbing the back of her head.

"Oh? You're the counselor, right? It's good to finally meet you. I'm Ashido Mina." She introduced herself with a small bow. She gestures to the other three behind her, "This is Hagakure, Kaminari, and Sero."

"Nice to meet you all. Although, I think you should get down with the others before Mister Aizawa gets mad at you." She points over where Aizawa was standing outside.

The four almost paled and slowly nodded at Himari as they walked down the stairs to the bus. Himari, quickly following.

At the sight, she sees three people that weren't on the bus with her and everyone else. Two of the Wild Wild Pussycats that were in the meeting that she didn't utter a single word to. Much less, at any of them. She hadn't been in the best spirits when that meeting happen. The other, was a small kid that she didn't recognize. He hadn't been there when they had the meeting. That much, she knew.

She stood by the bus as all the other students stared at her with fear in the eyes. A plea to help them.

Did Aizawa really need to scare the heck out of these kids? This wasn't…

The blue pussycat that she had forgotten the name of jumped in front of Himari before unleashing an attack that blew all of the students away off the cliff in an instant.

"That was...a little harsh of a start," Himari muttered to herself, glancing over at the other Pussycat and Aizawa who had been now standing a few feet away from her.

"Yes, that was the intention." Aizawa pointed out to her, "We need them to work on a tight schedule. We need to get them ready to defend themselves if needed. With all the villain activity going on at the moment, they'll need it."

It was a good point. Himari could understand that with the USJ attack that had happened a while back. It seemed as if they were prepared for things to get worse as a whole.

"Yeah, that makes sense." The red pussycat nodded at Aizawa's words before she glanced at Himari, "Oh, I don't even think we've met. I saw you at the meeting but I didn't get the chance to introduce myself. I'm Mandalay of the Wild Wild Pussycats and this is Pixie-Bob." She pointed at the blond that was standing at the railing, having a little too much fun, it seems with this kind of exam, "You must be the counselor that's gonna be with us for the time being."

"I am, it's nice to meet you. I'm E-Schemer."

Mandalay pointed a finger at the kid that had been with them, "This is my cousin, Kouta."

The boy looked away from her before Himari leaned down to his level, giving a soft smile to the boy, "Hi there."

Kouta looked away from her instantly, hmphing at her, "Go away." He snapped at her, turning to walk away from her.

"Ah?" Himari was confused. She was certain that she didn't do anything wrong at all. What had been on the boy's mind? What was up with him?

She just sighed, knowing fully well that it was probably not her personally that was the problem. She stood upwards, looking over at Mandalay and Aizawa before speaking up, "So, are we leaving this all to Pixie-Bob for the day? She looks like she can handle it pretty well."

A small laugh fell from Mandalay's lips, "Oh, she sure can. I doubt it'll even take them three hours, to be honest with you."

"It's not going to be as easy as we put it. Then again, any missions they go on as heroes won't be either." Aizawa added with a small sigh, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "Anyways, let's head over to camp. I doubt they'll be even done in three hours with how much they have to go through."

XXXX

Time had passed, and Himari had time to set up her office for the next month. Mandalay had offered a hand but she had declined it. When she was finished, however, it was getting closer at closer to late afternoon and the students weren't back yet. Looks like they had a pretty rough time going through that area.

She hadn't checked her phone in hours since getting to the cliff earlier. Maybe looking at it to see some messages from the others would be a good thing.

She looked over it, seeing about two text messages on her screen. Both from Yu.

 _Hey, they told me no one really knows where you're at because of what happened at the USJ._

Another text message was below it.

 _Please, Himari, I don't think anything will go wrong, but please be careful. You don't have the combat skills that I and so many other heroes do._

Himari gave a small sigh, typing back.

 _I don't see the reason why they would attack in the first place. All Might isn't with us. You seem super concerned, Yu. Is something wrong?_

She sent the message and about a minute later, her phone buzzed again.

 _Something wrong? You worried me to death, Himari. It wasn't like you to not keep me informed without telling me something was going on. Ever since the mall, you haven't been acting the same. I know you apologized for not responding right away, but I'm worried, Himari. I'm worried something about that day got to you. You don't have to tell me everything yet if you're not ready to, but I really want to help you._

She wanted to tell Yu about it, but it was better to keep things that happen between the principal and herself. She didn't want to burden anyone or make them worried about her. Much less, she wonders if Yu would hate her for having a linked past between the leader of the League of Villains.

Besides, it's better if she didn't know about what was going on between her and Tenko. God forbid when the time comes for Tomura to return and ask for her decision if she might get caught in the crossfire.

That would break her heart if she got involved in that. She trusts Yu, but if she had to protect her from her old friend, she would do it in a heartbeat.

Another text buzzed into her message.

 _Please, Himari, you've helped me with being able to get a hold of myself. I want to help._

She sighed. Yu was a stubborn person when it came down to protecting others, and she respects that. However, that reality she feared couldn't happen. She was training with Aizawa to make sure she didn't have to rely on everyone when the time came to face Tenko. She couldn't tell if he might get hostile.

 _I appreciate you, Yu, but I'm fine. Nothing really got to me that day. I was just exhausted. I promise you I'll be fine._

She sent the message, sitting in her chair, resting her phone on her desk. This was better. She cared about you and she didn't need to get caught in the crossfire. She'll be better soon. She just needs to focus on this new training she just got. She would be a lot better when she got a bit of a better backbone.

She was taking baby steps towards recovery. It was slow but she was getting there.

"Himari?"

A knock on the door was heard before Himari shouted a, "Come in" as Mandalay entered the room, "We're all gonna be eating dinner soon. The kids just got back." She looked at her for half a second, "Are you alright?"

A heavy sigh fell from her lips, nodding at her words, "Yeah, don't worry about it." She got up from her seat, stretching herself out before walking over to Mandalay, heading over to where the others would be eating.

She wondered what was going on with Kouta earlier. She had a good time to pop the question.

"Hey, do you mind if I ask you something? It's about Kouta." Himari wondered, looking over at the brunette.

Mandalay blinked at her words before she looked away from Himari, smiling sadly, "Ah, I had a feeling you might've noticed. Kouta's not a fan of heroes. He hasn't been since his parents were murdered by a villain. He was still really small when they died, so he sees heroes as cursed."

Murdered? Himari couldn't help but feel the pit of her stomach twist at those very words. She could feel memories of that tragic day as a child herself. The stench of fire coming to her nostrils at the memory. Seeing the smoke, the way her body ached and how she would stop at nothing to find her friend but was ultimately dragged back, hearing the screams of the people around her. The bodies that had been dismantled. The sound of her little voice screaming, _Tenko, Tenko..._

Mandalay's voice cut Himari out of her thoughts, "They saved so many people though. They saved so many at the cost of their own lives, but Kouta, only being a child…" Mandalay trailed off as Himari jumped in, stopping in her tracks.

She gripped her bag tightly, swallowing a lump in his throat, "He saw it as if they abandoned them…" Like Tenko probably thought of her…

"They did, but since we're both pros, you can tell that they were able to save so many people in their sacrifice." Mandalay pointed out to her, "It's our jobs to save people, and if we have to sacrifice ourselves to save other people, we have to do just that."

"I can see both sides, Mandalay." A deep breath of inhaling and exhaling passed through her nose first and out of Himari's lips, "When I was a kid, my village had been ravaged by villains. A lot of people died in that incident, and I tried to save an old friend of mine, but I couldn't. I was just a kid and I had to be dragged away by the pro heroes because it was far too dangerous to go in there and try to save him. It had been too late, and I didn't understand the reasoning at first that people had to die, but it still kind of hurt me, you know. I had been so close to saving him, and I..." She swallowed the anxiety that was begging to come out of her body, "I recently found out he didn't die, I saw him again, and he was...different."

Different was lightning the mood there. It was a feeling she couldn't explain, but different was simplifying it. It was making things seem lighter than what they honestly were.

"You feel a shred of guilt then." Mandalay rested a hand on her shoulder for some comfort, "I'm sorry, you must've been holding onto that burden since that happened." She sighs, giving a small smile to the woman, "You know, it's normal for you to feel like that way, Himari." She saw her old friend? When she had thought he was dead? "You must've been so relieved when you saw him again though."

"I'd like to say I was, but, in all honesty, Mandalay." She tightened her fists, tried her hardest not to cry, but the tears were falling, "I felt so...lost. I felt so heartbroken that he was on an opposite path as me. I was in so much shock." She dropped to her knees, trying to keep the sobs down, but it was overtaking her. "I didn't want things to be like this if I found out he was alive. He's hurting people, and no matter what I do, I can't see him the way everyone else does. It's taken a lot for me to keep myself together for the students, for my coworkers, for my family and friends..."

It hurt her, to see Tenko going on this path, hurting people, killing people, devastating so many people's' lives, going on this, well what she assumed to be revenge quest.

She heard footsteps as Mandalay wrapped her arms around her into a hug, drawing her in, "It's not easy to hold that burden, I'm sure. You probably blame yourself for what happened to him, but it isn't your fault. You were young and had no idea what to do. I wouldn't say to see him as a monster, but people change, Himari. Sometimes, not for the best either." She patted her back before pulling away from her, "Please, if you need any help at all, please talk to me."

Himari was shocked at her words. She didn't even expect her to even hug her like that. She didn't expect to hear that it wasn't her fault. Sure, it wasn't by someone else's perspective and sometimes, even her own, but if they had been there, saw what happened, they would know this tug of war battle would happen so constantly.

"I…" She swallowed another lump in her throat, wiping the tears from her eyes, "I do blame myself. Even if it wasn't my fault, I know I have a lot of guilt from that day. But I'm trying my hardest to move on."

However, if she told Mandalay who exactly it was, she probably would hate her for not seeing a villain as a villain. It wasn't like she knew as a kid that Tenko would turn out to be this person hellbent on making the world fall into chaos.

"And I see that, a lot. You radiate a lot of good nature from your presence. I'm sure you've done things in her journey at Yuuei so far to help those kids." Mandalay told her giving her a small smile, "I'm sure you've given them life. They make you happy, I can tell that much. Being here at this camp will definitely help you a lot, but please, do not be afraid to talk to me or the others. We want to help you. We care about you."

A nod followed as they were quiet the rest of the time, walking over to the dining hall. Himari didn't say much after that, but she did notice the kids and gave them a small wave before she headed out.

The rest of the night was shared with the sound of quiet music and reading a book for the first time in a while. Considering her time, it was pretty therapeutic. She gave herself some credit for herself. She was trying, and while she hasn't been quite there yet, she had been making some progress.

Tomorrow would be the day when she would get to see her clients once again.


	12. Chapter 12

"Again."

The sudden command was subtle, straight and to the point. Aizawa and Himari had been out training while the students were training to push themselves with their quirks.

Himari charged forward, ducking to avoid a punch. She immediately activated her quirk, realizing she hadn't had it erased yet. She used her quirk to make him agitated as she had been just yesterday when she hadn't been able to do more with her training. It seemed like it worked for a distraction, gave her some progress until...

Her arm was suddenly yanked forward, feeling herself hit the ground instantly.

"That was faster, but if I had been a real villain, I would've broken your arm instantly and I could've done even more damage to you." Aizawa let go of her arm and backed away from her, watching her stand up. It had been day two of this training, and he had seen a slight improvement. She had been doing well for her second day. Himari's quirk was a powerful one. One that had the potential to be used well. However, the quirk wasn't trained as he expected. Controlled, yes, but there was a need to work on it in the heat of battle as well.

Her quirk wasn't suited for battle, yes. However, it was a good asset to have in a fight. The fact she could break her opponents so easily without touching them. That was a devastating ability to have.

With that said, Aizawa was very well aware that villains were prepared for such things. They could be faster than her, stronger than her. Incredible strength could overpower her easily. Just like it did when he encountered the Nomu in the USJ attack.

He'd rather not have her in the same predicament, after all; Nor anyone else.

"You're an incredible pro, Eraserhead." Himari's voice snaps him out of his thoughts, clenching a fist, shooting the man a smile, "You're really flexible as well."

In these small training sessions, Himari found that Aizawa and she were quite similar heroes. They both worked in secrecy, they both had quirks that weren't meant for battle. It was actually relieving to know that he was the one teaching her to hone in on her skills as a pro.

"Don't worry about that." Aizawa let out a sigh in response, "You shouldn't be focusing on how good I am, but merely focusing on how you will improve. How you will grow through this training. If you want to protect the students, you will need to focus more."

Himari blinked, not meaning that to seem like she was not focusing on how to improve. She just really enjoyed the fact that he agreed to help her. He was right though. She shouldn't be saying that after a sparring session. She should be thinking about doing the next round better than what she did before.

"Ah, my apologies, Eraserhead. I didn't mean it to be that way. I was just trying to point out something how I felt about it. And…"

Aizawa sighed once again, "Don't worry about it, just make sure you learn, got it?" He looked at his watch before taking another fighting stance, "Let's do this again."

"R-Right." Himari puffed her chest out, taking a fighting stance once again.

XXXX

"Ah, Miss-Miss Tsuki!"

Izuku paled at looking at his counselor who had a few scratches on her with the combination of a bandage on her left cheek, "You don't need to go back and see Recovery Girl, do you?"

Himari smiled and shook her head, "No that isn't necessary, Izuku. I've just been...training."

Training? He didn't think Miss Tsuki was a fighter. Not to offend her or anything, but Miss Tsuki was always so nice? So kind. He didn't think she would be learning to fight when she was a pro.

"Uh...oh, I didn't mean to pry, I'm sorry…" Izuku trailed off, being cut off by Himari's hand raising to quiet him.

"It's quite alright." Himari smiled, deciding to try to humor the boy. Her right hand, flexing her muscles, or lack of, "You and the other students are just so empowering." She muster enough voice to try to impersonate All Might, hoping to cheer the boy up after a long day of training.

What she didn't expect was for Izuku to retaliate. His face looked similar to All Might's now, "It's so inspiring."

Silence fell for a moment as Himari looked stunned for a second at Izuku's own impression before she started laughing. Izuku, immediately following in laughter as well. It was fun to show his All Might impression. He got Miss Tsuki to laugh and that meant a lot to him.

"I didn't expect you to joke back, Izuku." Giggles followed from every other word, enjoying the company of the boy. It had been the first time she had laughed in a while now.

Izuku smiled, rubbing the back of his head, "Well, you haven't been looking too well lately. I wanted to make you laugh a little. I won't pry about it. After all, you're my counselor." However, that didn't mean he wouldn't try to cheer her up. Which he, in fact, had done so. A hero's job was to heal people's' hearts as well so when he came in, he wanted to make Himari laugh once during his session with her.

Himari's eyebrows rose before smiling, "Well, Izuku, you're certainly did make my day with that." She crossed her arms across her chest, "Now, tell me how your training is going, Izuku?"

"Uh, it's going good, I think? The Pussycats have been training me hard. It's been rough, but I'm determined to pass." He told her. Fists, clenching. His determination faded, "Although, there's something that's been bothering me, Miss Tsuki." His thumbs rolled in circles when his hands folding, looking down on him, "It's about Kouta. Mandalay told me you knew what happened to him. That she told you about it."

She nodded, taking a sip of her tea on the wooden table just centimeters away from her. In all honestly, Himari herself was also worried about the boy. Just like Kouta, she witness something at his age that was ingrained into her head, unable to unleash it out of her head for the rest of her life. It was still there, plaguing her mind. Even as an adult, she still couldn't escape her demons; She just learned to suppress them.

The amount of hell Kouta had to go through at that age was just depressing.

"Do you think you can help Kouta? I think counseling is what he needs." He looked away from her before looking back to her, "He's been so damaged. There's something you can do, right?"

Himari sighed, folding her arms, resting them on the wooden desk by her. Her brown eyes, softening, "Unfortunately, Izuku, I have no idea if he wants something like that. From the way he's acted, I doubt he'd want a hero counseling him."

She unfolded her arms, taking another sip of her tea, "Counseling only works for those who want it, not simply for people who don't. There's plenty of kids his age that are in some kind of counseling. I myself took care of a kid about his age as well before I started working at Yuuei. When it comes to counseling kids, you have to bond with them first to make any progress. You have to get them to trust them." She sighed, "The only thing I would recommend you do for Kouta is to try to reach out to him, but that would take a while. Much longer than what time we have here, I'm afraid."

She wasn't able to do something like that. Unless it was approved for her to do so, she couldn't do it, "But what I can do is try to make him a little brighter with my quirk." She tapped on her forehead, giving out a small smile of reassurance that there was something she could do, just not to the fullest degree, "But ultimately, he will have to be willing to go through the process with me. I think that's why Mandalay didn't say anything to me about counseling Kouta."

"I was wondering if she asked you." Izuku looked like he felt bad for asking now, "Guess I know that answer now. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. You've just helped a lot of people in Yuuei already including myself. You've really given back in your own way even before starting Yuuei so figured..."

Himari got up from where she was sitting resting a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry about it, Izuku. You've got a heart like mine. My best advice is to try to reach out to him as best as you can. Stay persistent." She took her hand off his shoulder, standing up straight, "It's what you can do for now. Maybe he just needs someone to show them that heroes are around for a reason, you know?" And he could be that person after all, "There's no need to apologize."

She just hoped that good heart of his wouldn't get him in a bad situation. Like what she was in now. She didn't want Izuku to be in the same situation that she was. It could ultimately change everything. She stubbornly wanted to stay at Yuuei to help the others students, Izuku included so she had to keep going.

"Thank you, Miss Tsuki. I promise I won't let you down." Izuku picked up his bag and gave out a big smile out to her, "I'll give it what I can."

Izuku was about to walk out, before Himari's voice called out to him, "One more thing, Izuku." She began, "Make sure to use actions. Words can only go so far." She told him.

Izuku turned back to her. Actions? What kind of actions could he do? "How could I do that?" He didn't know where to start.

She grinned, "You'll have to figure that out on your own. In the meantime, be sure to stay on top of your training and drink lots of water, got it?"

Izuku smiled, nodding at her words, "Yes, I will. Thank you so much!" He bows before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.

There was something special about Izuku, that was for certain. He boasted her mood quite a bit. His energy, his determination, his devotion to others.

He would make a great hero, that was for certain.

A knock on her door snapped her out of her thoughts as she heard Shoto's voice from the other side, "Miss Tsuki."

"Ah, come in." She spoke kindly, seeing him open the door, "It's great to see you, Shoto. I hope the training hasn't tired you out too much." She watched him take a seat, "Tell me what's been going on recently. Has training gone well?"

"Training has…" Shoto sighed, "Gone well. I'm still trying to control my left side." He looked down at his left hand, clenching it.

"How does it feel now when you use your left side?" Himari asked, wondering if it sent some pain into him mentally, considering the reason why he didn't use his left side…  
"It's felt…" Shoto hesitated, not expecting Himari to actually ask something like that. He looked up at her, "It felt like my own power. Midoriya, he opened my eyes during our battle. It was hard at first, but I've learned using my left side means I'm not accepting my father. Quite honestly, I'm doing the opposite."

"I'm glad. Although, one thing that has me concerned is you living with your dad after what happened. In my own encounter with him, I made sure to be formal and firm, not out of line. But tell me, how has your dad been since your fight with Izuku?" Himari asked, wondering if he also knew he was visiting his mom.

Shoto hesitated for a second. Anxiety rushed through his body. He knew he could trust Himari, but what if his dad found out? What would happen to Himari? Would she lose her job? Would he ruin Yuuei? Would Himari be able to stand firm against him if need be if he gave the information?

He was worried; worried that she would have a lot of issues to deal with.

"Shoto." Himari sighed, "If you're not ready to tell me, that's fine. I know how hard this might be."

His anxiety is building, despite her calm words. Her soothing words, indicating that she has good intentions do not change Shoto is experiencing a sudden panic attack from her words. He didn't like feeling like this, especially in front of her. This wasn't supposed to happen. This counseling wouldn't do anything if she got caught up in his family's drama. He didn't...he didn't...

He's feeling a lot of flashes from his past. When his mom poured boiling water on his face when his father pushed him so far to the point of vomiting in training almost every time since he was five years old. When he watched his siblings get neglected. When he was unable to get to know his oldest brother due to a tragic accident.

Touya...Touya…

Before he even could realize it, Himari was already out of her seat and he had no way of controlling what happened next…

Fire spewed at her in a matter of seconds. Himari was able to manage to avoid part of it. However, part of the fire had hit her in the shoulder, causing her to bite her lip in pain.

Fire had always given her some kind of anxiety, but she would have to swallow it down in order to calm Shouto down. His flames were trying to grow bigger and bigger. She had to calm him down right now before he set the entire camp on fire.

Her eyes glowed pink in an instant, looking right at Shoto, instilling some happy emotions in him, trying to calm him down. Despite the burn on her shoulder, she was still trying. Despite the anxiety that was building in the pit of her stomach, dealing with her fear of fire, she still carried on. She could have a breakdown over being burned later. Now was not the time…

No, she needed to take care of this herself. If his flames started, he could burn down the entire camp if it got worse. He still didn't have much control over his left side. His flashes were starting to go down, slowly but ever surely. There had been a small hole through from where she had been standing beforehand. Fire crackle by the small crater. Her entire body waved with anxiety and pain but she had just pushed it down. She could push it down. Just like the way she had been acting lately…

Like she was pure happy but on the inside breaking. Memories tried to flash back to her from that night. The very night when she had thought Tenko had perished, the very night where her world dropped for a long time. Nightmares were always knocking as if it had been a needy salesman trying to get at least an extra buck for the day, and it was his last stop for the day. No matter how hard she forced those down, they would always find a way to plague her, especially in a phobia that she had from the incident.

However, she made herself push it down. Not now, oh god not now. She needed to help one of her students, and she would without question, without hesitation. She couldn't let herself get so weak so quickly, not like this.

All of this happened in the course of a minute and a half. Shoto's flames gradually calmed down until they were gone. Himari panted from the burn but was ultimately okay. Just shaken up.

Shoto was panting as well, but his eyes widened in horror at what he had done. He had realized what he had done far too late. He couldn't believe it, his fire powers had gone out of control during his breakdown and hurt Miss Tsuki. He was afraid of this. Ever since he had decided to use his fire powers, he had been scared that he may hurt someone else with it. Now, he was, he was...

"Miss Tsuki, I'm sorry…" Shoto began before Himari cut him off.

"No, don't be." Himari gave him a small smile at him, "I'll be fine, it's just a burn." She hesitated, trying to find the right words to this situation.

"No, it's not, I hurt you…"

"Shoto, it's fine," She understood why his fire powers went off. He still didn't have a full control of his left side, "You still don't have much control of your left side. You also were having a mental breakdown, and that shows me you aren't ready to talk about it."

No, it wasn't that, no that alone at least. In Shoto's eyes, what he could tell could ruin Himari's reputation, and he couldn't just do that to her because of his past. She shouldn't have to suffer for what his father did to him.

His panic had still been there, Flowing, flowing into his head. He hurt Miss Tsuki because he couldn't control his mind, he couldn't control his emotions, and he couldn't control his powers.

Why? Why? He wanted this experience to do something for him but he always felt like he was playing tug of war. One part wanted him to tell her because she could help. The other, wanted her to just get away from him. That she would only be making her life harder for trying to help, and he didn't want her entire life ruined because of him. His father was like that. His father would do it if she got too involved…

"I'm not going to pry you about it, Shoto, but know that your father doesn't scare the likes of me." Had that been a bluff? Partially, but even if Endeavor tried to get involved, she would put her foot down. Besides, the slight anxiety she had because of the worry that he may hurt her was a stupid one. She knew Endeavor wouldn't hurt her despite getting in his way of making Shoto something that he wasn't, "He won't scare me if he confronts me about your well being. You have the right to grow, away from what your father wants. That's what I want you to know as we continue this counseling." She could handle anything that Endeavor may pry from her, but she would stand her ground against him.

To see Shoto like this, to see the chains that shackled him down due to the abuse of his father. Despite the anxiety in the back of her head, she is angered at someone's father breaking this child down like this. It made her blood boil as a whole that he was so traumatized because of his father.

But no, Himari would not let Endeavor win, not by a long shot. She also knew that Shoto would not let his father win this tug of war either. He was resilient. He was very, very resilient. She believed in him. This just needed time, and she knew he would make it with time.

XXXX

After making Shoto got back over and was okay for more training for camp, Himari had managed to bandage up her shoulder and was preparing for her last session. The hardest and the most difficult of the bunch.

Bakugou.

"Hey, Tsuki, what the hell happened to you?"

Bakugou had stood in the doorway, pointing a finger at her bandaged up shoulder. Looking over at him, she sighed.

"It's nothing, just a scratch." She told him, not really wanting him to know that this had been from Shoto of all people.

"Like hell, it was a scratch." Bakugou scoffed with a roll of his eyes, "You could just tell me you didn't want to talk about it, you know?" He sighed, rushing himself to rest in the chair across from her chest, "Let's get this over with, I got more training to do before my weekly remedial classes."

"You seem really ready to train, Bakugou." Himari chuckled at his gruff energy.

Bakugou looked at her, huffing, "What do you mean? I always am, E-Schemer." He rolled his eyes, "With that damn nerd getting a lot stronger, I gotta get stronger than him. That way, he won't beat me again."

Himari sighed, nodding, "Of course you do, but let's talk about something else. More importantly, how your training is going and your home situation."

"Gah," Bakugou groaned, "Why do I gotta get feelsy. The damn mouse just had to just force me in here, didn't he?" A heavy sigh fell on his lips, crossing his arms across his chest, leaning back on the seat, "My living area is always boring. My mom always screeches me like I'm some kind of dog just ordering me around."

Himari nodded at his words, issuing him to go on, but it looked like it was hard for him to really talk about it.

He groaned; his eyes, rolling at her words, "Jeez, I don't fucking know why she screeches at me constantly, always wanting me to shape myself into something she was. She's got all these damn expectations of me, always running in circles. The old hag just had to tell me to be more polite, not swear, but always swore herself. The fucking hypocrite."

Himari nodded at his words, yawning, "Well Bakugou, the family tends to not want you to repeat something that they do."

He suddenly slammed his hands on Himari's desk, startling her, "Then why the fuck does she keep saying it? I don't get it, E-Schemer."

Himari blinked a few times before sighing, "I'm not entirely sure. If I'm honest with you, Bakugou, it seems that she wants to challenge you in your own way. As for why I'm not entirely sure." If Bakugou's mom was anything like him, she might have a time showing that they are in some way with one another, "Could you elaborate?" She asked.

Bakugou crosses his arms across his chest, groaning, "She's someone that drives me nuts. She puts these fucking expectations in front of me, and she always turns around and does the opposite. It really gets on my fucking nerves."

Himari hesitated, wondering what else to say but she was at a loss of words. She didn't really know how to interpret this as a whole. She didn't know if it was some sort of neglect or something far worse. She needed more details.

Bakugou, all in of himself, was not a boy of words. He was a boy of action, of fighting. He never really understood his feelings or how to express them sometimes.

"She used to say 'if I bully people, I will bully you.' How fucking hypocritical of her. If she would've seen my actions as bad, why didn't she say anything?" Bakugou continued, finally managing some words to the Emotional Healing Hero.

She didn't realize that he had been bullying others?

She realizes that there was, in fact, an explanation. However, if it would be a good explanation to Bakugou would be beyond her. It didn't excuse his mother's actions, of course, but there was something that she had realized.

"It's very possible that your mother decided to be absent from your life. Whether it was for being drained from her own life or not, I don't know." She taps her foot on the floor for a moment, "However, that doesn't excuse her actions. She should've told you right away that such actions are not right." That makes sense to her why Bakugou didn't see his actions as bad or as disrespectful. His mom must've been very absent from his life in the beginning.

"I don't think that this answer would satisfy you." Himari continued to speak to him, "as I don't expect it to. In all seriousness, I see where you're coming from. You weren't punished for your actions for a long time, but when you are, you have no idea what you've done wrong." Lots of kids had this issue, yes. Bakugou wasn't the only one and he wouldn't be the last. She has seen this, but only rarely. It was actually hard to catch on depending on the person. Many people hid behind various masks. One doesn't simply act the same way to a higher up the same way they do to a friend.

"The thing is, Bakugou, it's important for you to learn these mistakes even if she didn't tell you this. That is what I am getting at." Himari explained to him, "It's not right for you to constantly harass someone like you did with Izuku." She knew that line might get him mad, but she knew she needed to say it.

Bakugou hesitated, twitching at her last line. It was always about him hurting Deku, wasn't it? When word was received for him to stay at his internship much longer, he wasn't happy. Jeanist was an asshole to him, trying to push on these society ideologies when no one else told him that before? Why didn't they? If it was so bad, then why? Why fuck around with him like this? Deku was a nerd that needed to be put in his place, below him. It's bad that he went around lying that he didn't have a quirk for years and years on end. People that were doomed to lose from society from the get-go weren't the ones who got to decide it.

It was those that never lost that got that right. Why else would All Might be so respected by society? Why else would his ideas be put up on a roaster?

Bakugou had known from the get-go when he got his quirk, he was born to be number one. After all, he had a flashy quirk. A powerful one, at that, that would earn him the title of number one hero eventually. What did Deku get? Absolutely nothing. So why was he able to beat him that day that seemed a long time back?

It seemed like it was all a damn slap in the face for him. Such a slap. Why was it that nerd was able to surpass him at that moment? Why was he?

He had no intention to let Deku win? Not again.

"You shouldn't talk like that about mine and Deku's history like that." Bakugou scoffed, finding himself getting out of his seat, "He's always been a damn pain in my ass, constantly chasing after me so much. What the hell is his problem?"

And with that, Bakugou left the room before Himari could answer such things.

XXXX

The next day grew fast and Himari found herself having a quiet day. She spared with Aizawa before camp training and in between as well. It was a rough time, but she had found herself pretty proud of the way she had been doing. With the League possibly trying to come in contact, with the way things might go, she had to be ready to stand with her own two feet. She found hope in Yuuei despite all the attention that had been given to her as a result. She found her attention wanting to be in this prestigious school.

However, she was still unable to tell anyone else other than Nedzu that she had a connection to the leader of the League of Villains. Who would help her? No one. They think she was a traitor, unable to be trusted. It was needed. She would just have to do things her way. Her way.

She didn't want to be suffocated in that area. She wanted to be in Yuuei longer. She didn't want to betray the people that made her happy. She didn't want to betray Yuuei. No matter what, she would just have to toughen herself out.

It was now dark out on the third day of camp. It was time for the students' next test to begin. She couldn't help but be excited to see how this goes.

"Tsuki." Came the voice that snapped her out of her thoughts. Turning, she looked at Aizawa who had Sero, Ashido, Kirishima, Denki, and Sato in his cloth, "Let's go."

Aizawa's stern and strict teaching skills were pretty questionable sometimes. She had realized this, even more, being on this summer camp trip. Did he really have to be that rough with them?

A sigh escaped her lips, nodding in agreement at his words before walking with them, lagging behind them.

The walk back had her think about things once again. She needs a plan for when Tenko and her meet again. She needed one. Perhaps telling Nedzu…

No, god no, he would literally think she was a traitor. She could not trust him either with that knowledge. He could destroy something she was trying to fix. It was impossible at this point. So she would have to fight with her own resources whenever that is. So she would continue to keep trying with her own. However, she knows her resources might not be enough, but with a plan…

God, she didn't even know when it was going to happen, but she had to be ready. She had to be. She could do this somehow, right? She made a decision. These kids needed her so she couldn't fall into her old friends' clutches. No matter how bad it seemed, she had to keep going. For all of those students, she would have to persist.

"Oh look, it's Class 1-A." A familiar voice called out, snapping Himari out of her thoughts as she almost bumped into Kirishima.

It was Neito.

"Look at how many of you failed." Neito laughed, staring weirdly at all of them, "Class 1-A isn't as good as it seems they are…"

"Hey! You lost too!" Kirishima retorted, pointing a finger at him.

The other students sat down in their seats as Aizawa pointed a finger at Himari, motioning her to come forward.

"We'll start with practice maneuvers. Miss Tsuki will lead in this training." Aizawa was aware she needed to have more training with other types of fighters. Him alone wouldn't be enough. After all, this kind of teaching was something that worked with her skills perfectly.

Himari's eyes widened, feeling her body tense up for a moment before shaking it off, nodding firmly as she took a few steps forward.

"Everyone!" The sudden voice of Mandalay made Himari jump in response, not expecting her voice in her head.

"Two villains attacked us," Mandalay explained, causing Himari's eyes to widen in shock. Villians? How did they…

"They might have more with them. Everyone return to camp immediately. Don't engage any of them."

"Vlad, E-Schemer, make sure the others are safe. Protect them." With that said, Aizawa ran off without another word.

Himari felt her breathing slow down. She was worried about the others. If Aizawa and the Pussycats engaged in battle like this, not knowing how many villains were around, it could be bad. They might have powerful ones this time around. However, why would the League be attacking them? This didn't make any sense…

Better yet, how were they able to track all of them down? Only everyone here knew the location of the summer camp. So why were there villains here?

She couldn't just stand here when they didn't know any of the details. She knew she wasn't much of a fighter, but she was still a pro-hero. She had to do something…

She could smell fire. She could smell it…

"Vlad, we have to do something," Himari exclaimed, trying to think. If there was someone igniting a fire, then that means they have to be out there, and that meant that there was more than the two villains that Mandalay encountered.

"You heard Eraserhead, let's protect the students," Vlad told her.

"That's what I'm suggesting. I don't have the physical power you have, but I can try to help the others outside. Please, you gotta let me go help Eraser…" She didn't know how much help she could be, but she needed to do something. She was training to handle herself in a fight. It sounded reckless but this way the way to see if she had improved lately. Sure, it had only been three days since she and Aizawa started training, but he had been the most hardcore teacher she had ever seen. There had to be something she could do aside from just standing here…

"There has to be a way. I'm a good scout. My speed and evasive skills can help us find a way to see if there's more." She had to risk it. She had to protect the others. Those kids didn't deserve to die here. None of them did.

This had been something Vlad hadn't seen in Himari. That look of focus, that frantic, anxiety nature she had was now gone. She was on full alert as if her fight or flight instincts kicked in. Nonetheless, she isn't being reckless. She was trying to establish a plan.

She pulled out her phone, "I'll give you any details that I can. We need to make sure the other students are safe and we need to make sure everyone else can get out of this alive."

Her phone, however, was out of service.

"It won't work with your phone, but I do have another proposal…" Vlad threw an earpiece at Himari and she caught it with ease. He put one in his phone as well, "We'll communicate like this. If things get worse though, you better get out of there. You got it, E-Schemer?" He trusted her to not do anything rash but he needed to emphasize that. He was glad they had them, but they were supposed to be used for a test down the road.

Himari nodded firmly, "You got it. I'll pass on any information. Hopefully, the others can settle down the rest. I can trust you to handle the rest of this." She shot him a thumbs up at him.

"I'm hoping so. If you run into Eraserhead, hand him one too." He threw another earpiece to her and she caught it with ease, "Just be careful."

"Always, Vlad." She nodded before bolting out of the building, spotting some of the students.

"Miss Tsuki!" Iida tried to call out to her as she ran past him.

She turned to him, "Don't worry, we're gonna get through this. It'll be alright. Just get back to camp." She told them before continuing to run.

If this was the League, what were they planning? What was Tenko trying to do here?

She knew what she had to do, and yet, she didn't want to do this. It tore her entire fiber of her being within her, trying to engulf the heart she had that knew it could be used to be taken advantage of. She didn't understand what or why Tenko had been doing all of this.

Did Tenko hate All Might for not saving him that night? Something she feels like she should've done?

She needed to stop talking about it right now, she needed to stop. She had bigger things to worry about than Tenko's motivations. She needed to focus on saving the students first and protecting them as Aizawa said. She could not sit here and watch her clients and students die. More importantly, this situation could all be because she didn't save Tenko that night. Which meant she needed to make amends for her very own mistake and save the students.

There hadn't been a single sign of anything yet. Just the image of blue fire that she had seen when she walked out, "From the looks of it, there's someone with a fire quirk." She told Vlad through the earpiece. She needed to keep her head cleared.

She was running for what felt like even more hours to her but was mere seconds before she suddenly felt a sensation in her body, something implying that someone had been watching her. She stopped in her tracks, looking around to see if anyone was around, but she saw no one. Paranoia lurked in her body. Aizawa told her that they weren't after any of the staff so why was she feeling some kind of sensation like this that someone was watching her in the shadows? It didn't make sense to her. If they were trying to buy time like they were with Aizawa, why were they hiding in the shadows? Why were they trying to set her on edge like this?

Finally, she tried to speak out, but she highly doubted that they would come out, but she wasn't an idiot, that's for sure. Her instincts always had some kind of thing about picking up horrible things. No one usually made her ever really startled. So, she didn't ignore the instincts building in her body.

Question is, how was she gonna get whoever was lurking to come on out? She pulled out one of her brass knuckles, having invested in a few of them since the mall incident. She quickly threw on at the tree about twenty feet away from her, as it stuck into the tree that was behind it.

Blood dripped on the ground, causing her eyes to narrow. She was right, someone was definitely near her.

She pulled out two more brass knuckles in her hands, advancing slowly to where she had seen where the blood was dripping. She needed to be cautious about this.

"I was imaging that you would feel someone following you real quickly. So you passed my personal exam."

That voice…

A familiar figure emerged from the tree, standing a few feet away from her. His smirk widen at her, and Himari found her entire world dropping in an instant.

No, this could not be happening...This could not be happening…

Blue fire immediately roared around them, trapping Himari in an instant before she could even utter a word. Her anxiety increases from the fire, but she is fighting it from stopping.

She knows who this was. It had been a friend she had made as of recent, and it was someone she was praying didn't go down the dark path. However, what she had seen now, had made her fears real in an instant.

Only one word fell out of her shocked figure, "D-Dabi?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Whew didn't think I was gonna get this out today but here it is! BNHA doesn't belong to me! I only own my OCs.**

The blue fire surrounding them sets Himari's heart on edge. The fire, however, is nothing compared to the man that was standing before her, trying to stop her. She knew him, oh she knew him. She connected the dots well. She didn't like what she had seen. She didn't, she didn't like seeing him like this following this path.

It was like a slap in the face. A stab to the chest. She knew it was coming, but it still hurt as much as it would if she didn't know. That feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew better not to ignore her instincts.

There was no way out, but to talk. She wasn't stupid; she wasn't going to try to get herself out of the fire. Any akin to doing such a thing would land her with a lot of severe burns or worse.

However, she knew Stain wouldn't agree with something like this. It wasn't his ideology; the one that had stared into her soul even after her encounter with him. She's seen him, faced him down, thought she was going to die at the hands of him even. It was only through the power of her quirk that she was able to survive that night. She understood they might've had...a bit of a dispute in their last encounter, but they had been on the same page. Just going about it in their own way.

She could've helped him. She could've talked to him out of this, but alas, she was unable to reach him. Maybe if she wasn't so worked up about discovering Tenko was alive after all these years. Maybe if she didn't let all of that suffocate her….

Maybe, just maybe she could've saved him from this kind of path. Their last conversation though made Himari doubt it, but why? Why did she just let him go? Why didn't she chase after him? He wasn't a bad person and there was a lot they could agree upon, so she knew this wasn't the right thing to do, right? Right?

Dabi actually liked how she froze when she knew it was him. He had for sure betrayed her. Dabi had always had admiration for Stain. That much was known.

Shock... That feeling he could see in her eyes, that was the first time ever he saw something like that on her and he was the cause. Should he be proud? Probably not.

Dabi smirked, enjoying the very fact that she hadn't been stupid. Her move earlier had been bold. He enjoyed seeing the not so delicate side of her in this, he must admit. He never saw Himari's powers before, but to be honest, he didn't expect her. In fact, he was still questioning why she was even here? They didn't get any information about her being here. She wasn't much of a fighter. Her quirk wasn't fitted for battle. So why was she here? She was a counselor, not some kind of frontal pro hero.

God, why was he even bothering here? He had to focus on their mission? It was going pretty good, but still...

He shaked the head for a brief moment, going back to focusing on his target.

Why did she even betrayed him like this?

"You know, Himari." Dabi began, taking a daunting step forward towards her, "It's always a shame that you still didn't change your way of thinking, you know?" He really have wished she would've changed her mind. This path was much better for getting the results he had wanted.

After all, this sham of a society wasn't going to simply move at this point. She really should've understood that after all these conversations they had.

Then, it hit Himari, clear as a rock falling on someone. The media had shown a connection between Stain and the League of Villains. That much, had been clear to her. It made sense why, but she...she didn't like this. She didn't like people she considered friends be on the opposite side. This was painful…

She always understood that her and Dabi had different approaches to handle situations, but this...this wasn't something she had wanted. She already had to deal with Tenko being the leader of the League of Villains. Now, this?

Her right foot moved backwards from the shock and his advancement towards him. She was careful, however, to not move too close to the flames. Sure, Dabi and her were supposed to be enemies right now, but she knew that he didn't want to hurt her. Her mind was still trying to comprehend this entire situation, "Dabi…" She trailed off, unable to find what to say. She tried and tried, but what would the Hero Killer's will cause him to attack of a group of kids? It didn't make any sense to her. What the heck were they after?

"You joined the League. I can't say I'm surprised, but…" Himari hesitated, trying to find the right words, "what are you and your members trying to do? What's your guys' plan?"

"Come on," Dabi snorted, chuckling, "You really think I'm gonna tell you? Sorry, but you'll just have to figure that out on your own." He held up a index finger, "Considering how you aren't dense, I'm sure once I give you a hint, you'll figure it all out." He would give her a hint, but that was it, "I'll tell you something: you pros aren't the ones we're after, and we're only after one person. Even though many of the others are on a special list."

While his clones were taking care of the other teachers he would just speak and slow down Himari. It wasn't in the original plan, but it was better like this.

Special list? The others? That couldn't of meant...

Himari hated this. She was frustrated, frustrated so much at a lot of people she considered to be friends. She...didn't understand this. She didn't like having to be on the opposite side of Tenko and now Dabi, but she had ties to her own side as well. People she had warmed up to. She had a connection to them. This wasn't fair...this wasn't…

Himari mentally slapped herself in the face. Calm down, and figure out a way out of here. She didn't need to fight Dabi, and she could always still contact Vlad if she needed to.

That would leave the others defenseless though. She couldn't do that, and if the one person is with them now, she was going to seal his fate. She couldn't take any chances here. If their target is already back at camp.

She would just have to do this on her own. It was better this way.

Even though she should feel like Dabi betrayed her, she didn't feel like that in the slightest. She had far too big of a heart to think about that. However, she didn't like the path he was taking. He could go crazy, killing more and more people as he went on and even though he wouldn't kill her, that doesn't mean he will kill someone that might eventually lead into a habit. She didn't want him to become that.

Relaxing herself, she started to think: only one? Only one...one person, it had to be someone that gave a ton of attention to the Sports Festival. One with villainous qualities if she remembered correctly…

It was one of her own clients, a new one at that. How didn't she know.

She knew the kind of position she was in at the moment, but she couldn't help but wonder what if they got her instead of him? No, that wasn't the right decision right now. They wouldn't accept such a thing. She knew that, but she didn't think Dabi would've wanted to kidnap a child and say that it goes into Stain's ideology.

It doesn't, Stain's ideology was to rid of false heroes in this society and as far as Himari knew, she had passed Dabi's tests consistently, and Stain's encounter with her had left her alive. Which meant she was a true hero in Dabi's eyes. He wouldn't kill her. It was the best option for him to go after her, she's realized. However, if Tenko had other people around here that felt the same way as Dabi, she could use that to her advantage.

"There's no honor in what you're doing, Dabi. You can't convince me otherwise that Stain would condone this as honorable. Your kidnapping a _child!_ " She knew how risky it was to say all of this, but this was the truth. Stain wouldn't of wanted to call something like kidnapping a child honorable. She knew that.

It had been the first time in a while she actually raised her voice, but she was yelling because she _cared_. She cared about him. She wouldn't be raising her voice like this if she didn't.

She bit her lip nervously. She wasn't ever this bold usually in situations like this, but she felt she needed to be firm and real with him. She could get through to him if she said the right words.

Nonetheless, she took a deep breath, "Stain wouldn't agree with your ideology here." That was a low blow, but it had to do something. Maybe he could see where she was coming from? After all, she encountered Stain. Dabi never did, and he knew that Himari had.

She took another inhale and exhale, "Do you still think you're carrying out Stain's will yet, Dabi?" She knew the risk she was taking, but she doubted that he would hurt her. At worst, he'd get mad at her words. He wouldn't kill her, and she knew that.

Her question and statement shocked him for a brief moment. He didn't expect her to say such things. However, that boiled him up a bit. Himari wasn't usually like this. He didn't get why she was batting him on like this, but even if she was right, even if she had a point, he didn't like this kind of a point. He honestly didn't even think the kid was going to join him, but he was just following orders.

"In all honesty, maybe you're right. I don't even think the kid would even join us if I'm honest with you." He sighed, stepping forward towards her again, "I'm actually _am_ surprised, you didn't strike me as the kind of person that would be this bold." Surpassing his expectations again. How usual of her, "However, over those damn heroes, I'll gladly take this side. This side is the lesser of two evils, see. Even if it's not Stain's way of doing things, I'm not him and I'm not the heroes either." His smirk widened, "I'm merely just a message carrier of him who was inspired by him."

He crossed his arms across his chest, "You know, Himari, I honestly don't get what you see in these heroes. I don't get why you're counseling them. You have the qualms of being a true hero, but you would be much more powerful without them. If you didn't cling to them, you could truly be a force to be reckoned with. Peaceful antics won't save this shaken society. You know better than to just give into this society."

She knew that the Hero Society had some issues, but she knew there would be change if heroes like her genuinely cared about one another. Sure, this society and world wasn't nice, but she just wanted to heal people in her own way. Not get caught up in this villian stuff. She wasn't meant to be a weapon. She wasn't, she wasn't a weapon. She wasn't him. She wasn't Tenko. Why were they so obsessed with her seeing their side? What were they trying to prove to her?

Why were they so obsessed with making her see things in their way?

It wasn't like she asked for this quirk in her body. Everyone always said growing up she was born to be a weapon, a monster, a villain, but she always ignored that and went in her own way.

It seems she could never run from her past. The pillars of this society were always holding her down. _You are not fitted to be a hero. Your quirk kills people. Your quirk hurts others. You are meant to destroy..._

Maybe Dabi was right; maybe peaceful antics wouldn't save this society, but she had seen the good the Hero Society has. She didn't know what happened to him, but she couldn't just sit here and let everyone she has cared about over these last couple of months go. However, she didn't want to let Dabi and Tenko go either. Tenko was a long time friend of hers, and Dabi, even though she didn't know him that long, he meant a lot to her too. He wasn't a monster, he wasn't a monster. He didn't need to do something like this, but he didn't think peaceful antics would do a thing either.

She didn't know what to say to that. She didn't know what to say to that. She didn't have an answer as to what else to do.

"What's the matter? Are you starting to realize why I am going down on this path?" Dabi asked her. In all honesty, Dabi believed Himari had much more potential than Bakugou to join them. A hard ass with an attitude that was so stubborn to the ideology of All Might that he wouldn't think twice about not joining. Himari on the other hand…

She had seen what his perspective was and he found it far better to take her instead of Bakugou. Now, was he going to simply blow Shigaraki's plan? Nah, the kid would come, he just didn't see Bakugou joining them, but Himari, with enough push, with enough talking with her, he could get her on his side. He could.

So, who cares if the boss gets a little mad about his newest addition. They needed new allies right? She'll be one of them then.

His plan had changed once again.

Dabi stepped closer to her, approaching, "I can make you understand further…"

He gripped onto her arm and in an instant, her quirk activated, making him feel distorted, confused. This was her quirk, wasn't it?

"Let go of me, Dabi. I don't wanna go." Himari's eyes were glowing pink. She wasn't about to let him seize her either. She panicked but she was so tired of being pushed around.

He didn't expect her to do this. It threw him off by surprise. She's still adamant about joining. She would be so much better off if she just forget about them. Forget about them and join the better cause. He let go out of the shock of the distortion of his mind. Anxiety increased in his body. He was getting frustrated now. Why didn't she want to if she could see why he's going on this path?

Fight, fight, fight, Himari's instincts kicked in. She couldn't let him grab her. She couldn't let him grab Bakugou either. Don't touch him, don't touch her. She doesn't want to go to the League. She wasn't ready to face them yet. She wasn't ready to face him yet...

Make this stop, please make this stop. She didn't feel like being in this position. She's tired, she's tired of playing tug of war with other people already. She was starting to get better. Stop trying to drag her in already...

Please, just let her have some peace. She's growing weary. She didn't want to be back in that state she was in a couple of days ago…

The flames started getting closer to her now. They were growing and growing, making Himari froze in her tracks. The flames, the fire, it was making her flashback to that moment when she was a kid, trying to find Tenko and how the flames terrified her soul even up to this point. It made her hesitate to for a moment.

That hesitation had ultimately made her on the ground in a matter of moments. The flames etching closer and closer as Dabi pinned her down on the ground.

And now, she could tell she made him a little frustrated.

A smirk, formed on his lips, leaning to whisper in her ear, "I know exactly why. You know, if you really wanna be rid of Hero Society, I can help you wipe those attachments away. You'll understand, you'll realize why I don't want to even be around the likes of _them_." He admitted it, only to himself, that this feeling that he had to Himari, and her being a hero was driving him nuts. It was why he had been wanting her on his side more. He couldn't stand enjoying someone that calls herself a hero even if Stain saw her as a true hero.

That made it more apparent to just haul her to the League. It motivated him more.

"I'm not ready…" Himari was actually worried now. If he did drag her back there, that meant she would see Tenko far sooner than she had expected. She wasn't ready…

"You just need a little push then." He slammed her head into the ground, "You know, you're the one forcing me to get rough with you. If you didn't fire off your quirk, this would be a lot less painful for you."

Although, she took him by surprise, but she wouldn't be able to move for a while. Not while he had a say about it.

Himari couldn't give up right now, but if she moved at all, the flames would burn her in an instant. This was bad. This wouldn't stop till he lowered the flames. She couldn't do anything till the flames were down, and she couldn't get out of Dabi's grip. It was too strong for her.

The flames were slowly calming down and Himari immediately felt herself get hoisted upwards, being thrown over Dabi's right shoulder.

"You better not try to fight back." He told her gruntly, narrowing his eyes, "You're getting a taste of what you should have. Compared to what you have now, this is much better for your goals." Those heroes didn't have the right to have her. She was different from them, and if she didn't know, he would gladly have to beat it into her head.

Himari bit her lip. Despite Dabi's words, she was still wanting to fight. She didn't want this, she didn't. It didn't matter if he cared about her in his own way. She didn't want this. She didn't…

Another slam of her hands went into his back, trying to get him off of her. No one could help her right now. She was all on her own.

Dabi stopped in his tracks the moment he felt her hitting him. It stun him but it didn't do enough to break his grip on her. He let go of her, only to have his grip on her arm. His other hand flexed immediately, as if it was a warning.

Why won't she just _stop_? She was starting to annoy him. He didn't get why she was so fixed on these peaceful endeavors. She knew better. That's why she didn't respond earlier. She had to see why. Yuuei was honestly pissing him off at this point. He was trying to separate her from them before it was too late.

"That's what I thought." Damn, sham heroes really got a hold of her, didn't they? That wasn't nothing that he nor the league couldn't fix. It seemed she couldn't be trusted to fight off. If she continued, his patience would thin even more, and it would not end well for her.

So, he hoisted her upwards, using her arm to pull her. He forces her to look him in the eyes. However, Himari stun him again with her quirk, this time, trying to get him to be even more distorted before. She could run, she could get out of here. She could survive. She could do this.

"I said no!" She exclaimed, slamming her fist into his face, sending him flying into a tree. She didn't want to do that, and sure, she hated herself for doing that, for continuing to fight, but she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to face the League yet. She didn't want to. She wanted to help the others. She didn't want to let them down. They were her friends, and she didn't want to abandon them either.

Dabi groaned getting up. That's it, he had tried to be patient with her, but now, he's ultimately pissed off, "I was really hoping I could change your mind. If you would just give a chance to give the League a chance…"

"No! I don't want to decide yet!" She snapped, wanting to live her life. Maybe she was selfish, but she wanted to live her life in her own way.

"I get that, that's why I'm _trying_ to get you to understand. Going back with us can help you. They don't deserve you, you know." Dabi told her roughly. He straighten his shoulder out, "but you know, you could've been a little softer with that." That hurt him. He didn't think Himari had some physical strength on her but it definitely took him by surprise.

Himari panted, immediately turning her quirk back on, "I didn't want to hurt you, I really didn't." But he forced her hand. He forced it. She hated having to fight, especially to him.

To be fair, Dabi really didn't like the aspect of letting her go back to these heroes. Despite how much of a fight he had given her, he knew that it was simply her procrastinating the inevitable. He would keep trying; her confliction didn't mean anything. It just motivated him more to just get her to come along.

"I'm sorry, Dabi, but if you want me to come with you, you'll have to take me unconscious." She told him. It was about time she started putting herself over others. She gets Dabi's motivation, but she wouldn't, she doesn't want to go to them, and she wasn't planning on it.

She activated her quirk without warning. However, Dabi had realized that her quirk didn't shut off how to control his emotions. The distortion was in his head, but it forced him to block it out despite how much it was building in him.

If Himari wanted to be dragged her unconscious, he would do it. Without warning, without hesitation. She would understand why the League was the better option.

Then there was a shadow moving behind Himari and she only had seconds to react. However, a quick swipe to the neck had instantly knocked her out.

She fell to the ground with a thud as Dabi looked up to who helped him.

"Dabi!"

Twice was now standing by the girl he just knocked out, "This one was giving you trouble, eh Dabi?" Twice snickered looking around quickly to see if she was successfully knocked unconscious. He had done so, "Say," He pointed a finger at Himari's unconscious body, "she wasn't even on the list to be here, wasn't she?"

"No, she wasn't, but she'll be of use to us. We could always get more people as we see fit. I'd say she's more able to be recruited than Bakugou despite the trouble she gave me." Dabi cracked his neck, knowing fully well Himari had understand and couldn't argue with him when he said that the society of heroes wouldn't answer to peaceful details on the inside. He would be able to show her what he meant by lesser of two evils, "She's a bit of a fiesty thing. Didn't quite expect her to have this much of a fighting spirit, but she'll probably be better fitted for our League than the kid will."

"You kidding, she totally knocked you into a tree." Twice pointed out as Dabi rolled his eyes, hoisting the unconscious woman over his shoulder.

"Shut up, I told you I didn't expect her to have that power." Dabi turned over to him, "Let's hope Compress finally got the target we needed."

Just then, they both had gotten a message from Compress, telling them that they got the boy, "Let's get going."

XXXX

"OOO, Dabi, you got someone!"

Toga clapped her hands together, glancing at the unconscious girl over his shoulders, pointing a finger at her, "Geez, she's super cute. Did you bring her here for me to give blood."

"Don't flatter yourself," Dabi scoffed, rolling his eyes at her, "She's here because she'll be of some help to us."

Toga clapped, "Ohh, I bet you got some kind of crush on her." She jumped happily, excited that Dabi totally had a crush on someone.

"Don't be stupid, I wouldn't like a hero." Dabi grunted, sighing heavily, "Just get out of my business, crazy."

Toga stepped away from him, giggling at his words. Oh he was so in denial. That's why he was so set on having her join their side. Because she was a hero. Oh how much conflict that might've been.

Suddenly, there was a sudden scream that came out from above, following a crash, revealing Compress on the ground while Shoto, Izuku, and Shoji were all on top of him.

"Give them back!" Izuku snapped, narrowing his eyes at the villian before he was suddenly cut off by Dabi.

"Compress, get out of the way." He told him as Compress disappeared into an orb and Dabi used his free hand to fire a blast at the three Yuuei students. Shoto had dodged the attack while Izuku and Shoji were grazed by the fire.

Izuku, when he had gotten out of the way with a burn, had realized that the blue fire villian guy had someone on his shoulder, and she looked familiar to him.

Was that Himari?

A needle that had been sent his way caused him to push his thoughts aide as Toga charged at him, pinning him down to the ground.

"You're so cute!" Toga exclaimed, pulling out a knife, "But you would be so much cuter if you just bled a little more." She raised it but not before Shoji knocked her away.

"Midoriya!" He landed beside him.

"Shoji, there's someone that the League's got. It's one of the pro heroes. We gotta get her too." Midoriya told him, getting himself up to his feet.

"What? The counselor…" Shoji's eyes diverted to the pink haired girl that was unconscious and over the flame guy's shoulder. However, he had to force that down in an instant as Toga looked like she was ready to attack again.

Meanwhile, Compress and Dabi and walked over to each other, "You mind compressing her for me?" He jabbed a finger to the girl over his shoulder.

"Ah, I see you got an extra recruit too. I'm impressed, Dabi." Compress chuckled before touching the girl, capturing her in a orb as well, before he sneakingly put one of them in his mouth without Dabi or the others realizing it. He then made the move of handing three of the orbs to Dabi.

"I got Tokoyami and Bakugou, but Miss Tsuki…" Shoji trailed off, causing Shoto's eyes to widen.

"What?! They got Miss Tsuki too?" He didn't think they would be interested in her. Just why were they taking her too? This didn't make much sense. However, Todoroki immediately fired off some fire in the direction of Dabi in an instant when they were handing off the orbs, knocking them to the ground. He was about to jump in to grab them when Twice lunged at him again.

Shoji had taken initiative to try to grab the orbs. He successfully grabbed them. However, Dabi was already charging blue fire. He fired it at him. He barely dodged, rolling to the ground.

"We're done!" Shoji told him.

"Damn bastard." Dabi raised his hand to fire while Compress raised his arm up to stop as Kurogiri appeared in front of them in an instant.

"It's been five minutes since the signal. Let's get going, Dabi." Kurogiri ordered the group.

"What about the kid and the woman?" Dabi asked, knowing, fully well he wasn't at least leaving without the kid.

"No worries, the two I picked out and the one you picked out are still with me. I wouldn't be so flashy now if I didn't have a couple of tricks up my sleeve." He uncovered his mask and opened his mouth, showing that he had all three of them in his mouth. He managed to sneak the other one at the last second.

Compress snapped his fingers showing the ice from the three orbs, "Ah, such a turn on the tables. It was perfect to seal them." He backs into the portal. Izuku is already charging at him in a matter of seconds, "Enjoy yourselves, I'm sure the show will definitely need you to chill out." He laughs at his pun, slowly walking into the portal, "One last bow and then the curtain closes."

Suddenly a blast fired at Compress, hitting him in the face in an instant, knocking the three orbs out of his mouth. Two of them flew to Shoji's hands while the other flew out in Todoroki's. Shoji managed to catch the two while the other…

Dabi caught before Todoroki got the chance, "Well, isn't that a tragedy. Poor little Todoroki Shoto." He turned to Compress, "Release them."

Compress groaned at the sadness of having his exit ruined before snapping his fingers. It revealed Bakugou in Dabi's hands and Tokoyami and Himari in the air.

Himari's body hit the ground with a thud, groaning as she was trying to regain consciousness in that moment, but was ultimately seeing Dabi holding Bakugou by the neck in her blurred vision. Izuku's scream shouting Bakugou's name. She tried to get up and rush over there to stop it, but it had been too late. She rolled to the ground, panting.

She clenched her fists so hard that they were bleeding at this point. If she had woken up a few seconds later, she could've gotten him back. She could've, she could've…

It ripped her heart apart to hear Izuku screamed like that. The shock and sad faces on all the other students…

It killed her, it angered her. Dabi, Tenko, just what the hell are you all trying to do?

 **I contemplated keeping Himari with the villains but ultimately, I decided to have her get rescued instead. This does not mean this will be less evil. She won't get the shit beaten out of her, but it would've been easier for her to ultimately be kidnapped with Bakugou. Now, she's gotta deal with a lot.**

 **Anywho, hope you liked this chapter! Feel free to kudo, comment, bookmark if you like.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Whew, it's been a while. Apologies everyone! College has completely killed me on top of the cold weather. This is a pretty big chapter though so I hope it'll make up for it. There is gonna be some gore and depression mentioned in this chapter on top of suicide. Disclaimer, BNHA doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Hirokoshi! I only own my OCs.**

The room was dark, shouldering the room as it was nightfall in a country a ways away from Japan. The only light came from a laptop on the desk showing pale skin and dark black hair. A light snore escapes the young woman's lips and there was a book that was not too thick but not too thin either. Her phone was on the bed and vibrating. The light showed the white dark walls to the end of the lamp.

Groaning, the girl let the phone vibrate a couple of times before she finally put her hand on the phone and answered it, "Hello?" A groaning voice called out. The girl sat upright, yawning.

"Miss Hanato? I'm sorry for waking you. I know it's about three hours behind Japan, but this is urgent."

The woman, Hanato Machiko, rubbed the back of her head before turning the lamp on next to her laptop, "Ugh, I'm sorry. Who is this now?" She was always getting interrupted from her beauty sleep. If it was someone from her home then…

Something was up. She knew she had some kind of flight to catch in a couple of hours to fly back to Japan after months of not being around there. Working to infiltrate the underground was tiring. She couldn't wait to be back in her own space.

"This is Officer Tsukauchi from the Police Department in Japan. I need a favor from you. I know you're out investigating the international groups that have been doing illegal trade and infiltrating them over the last couple of months, but there's been an incident."

"Spit it out then, Mister Officer. I've already been through some shit lately with these illegal gangs." She looked at her nails, digging at them.

"One of Yuuei's students have been kidnapped by the League of Villains. Although we need to rescue them, I believe that you are probably someone that could help us with another plan. You see, the kidnapped student isn't the only problem here. You haven't been in Japan for a while now. I heard you were supposed to be coming back this afternoon. If you can catch your plane fast enough here. We'd appreciate your help, Machiko-chan."

Machiko sighed. Looks like she wasn't going to get any extra sleep. She'd have to hurry, "My flight leaves in about three hours, sir. I'd have to hurry, but I wouldn't arrive there till about seventeen hundred hours. Will that be enough time to get to brief you?"

"Yes, that's fine. I appreciate you. Your agency should be able to help us in rescuing anyone that we need to other than the Yuuei student." Tsukauchi told her.

"Geez, the one time I leave Japan, everything goes to shit. I got a lot of questions for you, Mister Officer, but I'll do my best to help." Machiko sighed, getting up to stretch herself out, "You're lucky I was leaving today, or I would have to drag everything from hell to back with this underground group I've been undercover with for a while." Another sigh. This time, from remembering leaving her agency in charge with someone else, "Hopefully my assistant hasn't turned my agency upside down while I've been gone." She sighed. Leave it up to Yuuei to fuck up and find out things are worse than what they actually were. God damn, what the hell had she missed over the last couple of months? First the USJ incident, now this?

Anywho, sure beats dealing with these damn deadbeats she's had to deal with the last two months. It'll be hard to cover her ground without revealing who she really is, but now wasn't the time for such things. She needed to get ready for her flight back to Japan.

XXXX

It was afternoon and sure enough, Himari was still in bed.

She had barely slept since coming back from the failed summer camp. A wariness in her body came into her. Anxiety clung to her as if it was trying to survive by leeching onto her.

She could still here Izuku's scream in her ears from that night. If she hadn't let her guard down, hadn't been too busy trying to deal with Dabi, maybe she could've stopped them.

Bakugou had been right in front of her. Right within her reach, if she was only a few seconds sooner, maybe she could've saved him. Maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't be in this situation right now.

After the incident, she had been checked out in a hospital and checked for minor injuries. She hadn't been too banged up so they released her after a few hours. She was still heartbroken after many hours after the incident.

She was still shaken up from it.

"You need to come out of there. Wasting away in that room won't help." A faint voice called followed by a loud knock, "Himari, get up."

That was Aizawa's voice. He must've been at the doorway of her apartment. She sighed, finding the strength to get up, or rather, giving the small strength to force her upwards. She threw on her hero costume quickly before opening the door, revealing not only Aizawa but Yu as well.

"Yu came with you too?" Himari gasped, trying to look less disgusting than what she already was. She had bags under her eyes. Her face had been pale from the mental breakdown she had once she got back home the night before.

"Yeah, I was a little worry about you." Yu scratched the back of her head, wearing her Mount Lady hero costume, "You were already discharged at the hospital when I got there." When she heard Himari had to deal with quite a bit, she knew that she needed to come and help.

"Ah, sorry for worrying you then." Himari gave a small smile, trying to hide away her pain quite a bit, rubbing the back of her head, "What are you guys doing here?"

"Nedzu said you weren't answering your phone so he asked me to come and get you and find out what was going. He figured you were having a rough time. Given you were the closest pro to saving Bakugou." Aizawa explained to her, resting his hands in his pockets.

Her smile faded, looking away as memories hither from that night, "I'm sorry…"

"Hey! What are you apologizing for, Himari? That wasn't your fault." Yu shook her head, putting a hand on Himari's shoulder, trying to calm her down, "You did what you could. It wasn't your fault you got jumped by a villain trying to find the others."

"She did ignore my orders. It wouldn't have happened if she would've stayed with Vlad." Aizawa pointed out to the rookie Pro Hero, "Himari, you have a lot of brains, but you need to back it up with brawn. I still can't believe you would've putten yourself in harm's way like that though." It didn't matter if they knew. She went against a direct order of his. There was a reason why he told her to stay back.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to do more, and I almost got myself abducted by the villains because I just wanted to help." Himari walked down the stairs, of her apartment as the other two followed, "Nedzu told me there's going to be some backlash due to the situation, and I didn't mean to let things get so bad."

"Anyone tell you that you're a bit hard on yourself?" Aizawa asked before sighing, "Listen, Himari, with the last two attacks on the students, Nedzu is on edge. He thinks there's a traitor, but I highly doubt it's you. The USJ incident wasn't something the villains should've been able to do and you weren't there when it happened."

Himari blinked before her eyes widened, "Wait, you think he thinks I'm the traitor?" No, this wasn't happening. This couldn't, he couldn't be accusing her like this without any proof. She didn't mean for this to get this bad. She didn't think this was all gonna happen. She was still trying to fight against Tenko and Dabi. She wanted to still help the others. She wanted to write all of her mistakes lately. She was light, and light often attracted the darkness.

She guesses that's why it still hurts. Because she gets Tenko's and Dabi's points, but she, she didn't think she was meant for that kind of life. For years, she has always been told by her grandparents that she wasn't a monster. That she was meant to heal people, that her power wasn't that evil as people made it out to be.

Besides, she didn't want to forget about Yuuei either. They've done a lot but now, she was starting to realize maybe her associations could put the kids in danger.

Maybe, maybe it was better for her to leave, but she didn't wanna leave. She wanted to help them. She didn't want everything to turn out like this.

Why did this all have to be complicated? Why did it have to be like this? She wishes she could tell them both why she assumed that Nedzu might think she's the traitor, but if she did that, they probably would hate her.

They totally think she was a traitor. This wasn't right, but the media would turn Yuuei overboard if they found out. If too many people knew it would end badly for her and Yuuei both.

So she will have to hold onto these emotions in her heart till they explode. She had to just hold the shatter pieces of her heart together. They couldn't know. They wouldn't care about her anymore. If any more people turned against her, she might lose her mind.

She'd probably want to die if she lost any more people. None of them died around here, but after watching so many people died when she was a kid, after being a cause of their death, she didn't feel like she was worth it. She didn't feel like she deserved friends. While she has moved on from the depths of those tragic things, she would still get them from time to time.

She didn't know what to do. She didn't know how much more heartbreak her mind could take.

The walk over to Nedzu's office was a long one and much wasn't said between the two. Himari kept herself quiet. Her stress was kicking her a lot and it wasn't like she could tell them what happened.

"Well, here you are. I gotta get ready for the conference so I'll see you around, E-Schemer." Aizawa told her before walking off.

Mount Lady looked over at Himari who looked like she was nervous. She didn't want to pry, but she could tell there was something that was bothering her since that day at the mall.

 **XXXX**

There is silence when Himari steps into the room as she watches Nezu from his desk sipping a cup of coffee. The white desk shines a reflection of the mouse's self-appearance. He puts down the coffee, glancing at the pink haired counselor. He ushers a gesture for her to have a seat and somehow, Himari feels the tension doubles in the pit of her stomach, unable to feel as if there was something dire.

Aizawa told her that he didn't think she was some kind of traitor but would he really think that when she has such a connection to Tomura.

"Have a seat." It wasn't Nedzu's normal, cheerful voice at all that she had often heard. It sent anxiety into Himari's very being and she found herself unable to really make any noise or any form of communication. She braces for some kind of punishment. She's at fault for letting Bakugou just get kidnapped. She could've done something, but odds are, if she did, Dabi would've just pulled her in with him if she tried to fight back and take her back.

Nonetheless, she found that it didn't help her guilt go away in the slightest. She was the only pro there to do anything. Why didn't she try to sacrifice herself for Katsuki?

"I apologize, Principal Nedzu." Himari bowed slightly in respect to her boss, "This is all my fault what happened to Bakugou. If I had been a second sooner, I could've…" She clenched her fists, "I could've…"

"I understand you must have some regrets, but I'm sorry for what I am unfortunately going to put you in. Tsuki Himari, I've been proud that you have stood up time and time again for people in need during your time here at Yuuei. However, there are measures I need to take. You have a sketchy relationship with the leader of the League of Villains and while I do still trust you, I do not trust what Shigaraki will do. I have reason to believe despite his hatred towards heroes, it may fuel him, even more, to put you into a bad situation. Please understand that I am merely doing this not only to protect you but the school as well."

He took a sip of his coffee, setting it down, "Because of this fact, I have to keep tabs on you from now on. I understand you wanna help the children, but I'm also realizing that having you at Yuuei may prove to be troublesome considering your ties. There's also no telling if other villains may be able to intercept the information on you with your ties with Shigaraki. This on top of how useful your quirk is will only draw more villains towards you. You knew going into this that you were going to get a lot of attention on you. I commend your bravery for that. It's not easy for someone like you to throw yourself into the line of duty like this."

It wasn't easy for anyone, Nedzu mentally noted to himself. Heroes were always having to be well prepared to take the risks of their own actions. Both on the people they are trying to save, but themselves as well.

"You're going to be under surveillance every time you're away from the school. There's a traitor among us and I have to be suspicious about everyone. Please understand that I am not calling you out. I have to give everyone equal suspicion. I also understand you and Aizawa have been training recently with one another. That's good you're taking a lot of power into our resources here of other fellow pro heroes that are much more experienced in battle, but I dug through your previous history and I figured you would also like to know about this." He slides a file from his desk over to her.

Himari took the file and looked it up. It was a file of a girl that rang familiar to her. Then, she saw the name and her jaw nearly dropped.

It was a friend of hers from the same town as Tenko. Someone else who had survived the turmoil of that night, and she had no idea she was alive despite hearing her hero name on countless occasions. The dark, short black hair, pale complexion, and ominous blue eyes were what she remembered of her old friend.

 _Name: Hanato Machiko Quirk: Pain Hero name: Takato_

She puts down the file out of shock. Brown eyes, widening with shock. It was her friend, oh god, it was her friend…

She was alive. How didn't she know? Did she overlook the files of alive people when she was investigating Tomura?

"Takato has been away from Japan a few months, infiltrating various gangs across the country and even the underground. I didn't realize that there was a connection with the two of you until recently. She originally wanted this kept away. However, I thought it was better to tell you, considering your stress recently. She's set to come back from her long journey for Japan in a couple of hours, but I'm sorry this won't be the best reunion for you both considering the circumstances."

"Yes, I…" She stops herself, trying her hardest to break that habit of constantly apologizing. It's always been written in her DNA, unable to apologize. She always feels like she is always annoying people like that but she always couldn't break that habit.

She cleared her throat, trying to sake off her sudden apology. She was upset though. She didn't like having to rely on other people to make her safe but after her encounter with Dabi…

There was no way she couldn't argue with Nedzu that she might need protection. Especially considering what happened when she got jumped by someone from behind.

But she didn't like having constant surveillance in this situation. Besides, Tenko wasn't that gone, right? Right?

"It's nothing. I'm grateful Machiko is alive is all. I wish she wouldn't of kept it away from me. It makes sense why she didn't seek me out with all the chatter going on when I joined Yuuhei for the first time, but Nedzu…" No stop, she couldn't tell him about thinking that Tenko wasn't beyond help now. That there was no way of saving him. He would just find her even more suspicious.

"I know it's hard for you to accept that your old friend isn't the same, but Himari, that's more than enough reason to put you under surveillance for now." Nedzu knew the soft spot she had for him. He knew that's why he was trying to not only protect the school but her as well.

"You need to let go of Tomura as best as you can. You need to detach yourself from him. I think you've done well to understand that lately but I need you to keep progressing. I don't want to take action against you if I don't have to." He needed to tread carefully. The media didn't need to know that there was someone in their ranks that had a connection to the League of Villains. It could bring down the Hero Society.

Besides, he knew Himari's caring nature for the other students and how much she wanted to help him. If she has nothing to hide then she has nothing to worry about, "I also would like to remind you that if you have nothing to hide, this surveillance should not be a problem." Aizawa training her made things a lot better. Plus, he was certain if he did revoke her training, she would go for an outside source and that might be harder to keep surveillance on her. It was easier this way. There was no telling what further ties she had to the League itself.

"R-Right." Himari swallowed, knowing fully well he was right. There was something that made her kind of hate this, but then again, she does understand where Nedzu is coming from considering what has been happening. This isn't something that can simply be fixed within a day. If she goes through it, and if he has concluded that Tenko would be coming back, he would be the first to find out.

That, actually kind of made her feel better, but she was worried what was gonna happen to the person that was the messenger if Tenko caught on?

"In any case," Nedzu took a sip of his coffee, "If there aren't any questions, then you're free to go, Himari. I have a conference to take after this."

"No, it's fine. I think I understand." Although, she really didn't like all this stuff being put on her. She was also glad at the same time and it really irked her, "There are no questions I have for you. It's perfectly clear." She got up from her seat and bowed, "Good luck to you, Principal Nedzu."

XXXXX

It had been a long flight back to Japan. Machiko hadn't been the nicest person when woken up by an unexpected phone call, but duty calls, she guessed. Now, they were heading to where Officer Tsukauchi had told her to meet up once she arrived in Japan. It was just a couple of blocks away.

"Machiko, are you certain that this was important enough to ditch the entire investigation?" A light brown haired man with green eyes approaches her, wearing some an armored vest and dark pants.

Machiko stared at him, knowing fully well that ditching so many people on short notice would have blown her cover. Nonetheless, the villains she was undercovered with had gotten a better opportunity of doing weapons recovering in Japan. Illegal ones at that. She had to keep that persona going even in Japan. It wasn't a complete loss, "Youto, I'm sure you're aware that we did end up with another trade in order to keep the investigation going and a perfect opportunity to investigate a new rising star in the underground. It's not a total loss and while we will be farther away, we have better orders to take. You gotta sacrifice for the better good."

The tall brunette boy with purple eyes also followed along. His muscles were visible on his shoulders that were barely covered due to his sleeveless black jacket. Brown pants were also on as well, "Yeah, Youto don't take it too personally…" His smirk grew, teasing one of his fellow comrades.

"Don't fight you two. We've got things to look at for now. We'll talk about this another time." It was irritating though that she couldn't get an explanation before she got to Japan. If it had been that bad then she realized there must be a variety of heroes on the job.

"We're heading over to Jeanist's agency, right? I hope we don't run into weirdos there." Aiden yawned to himself, sweat dripping at the image of his hairstyles. God, please don't let him touch his hair…

"That's what the Officer told me in his text." A sigh, a heavy one escaped her. Not that she ever had a problem with Jeanist, but she was beyond over being kept in the dark. She wants some explanations.

The walk continued with them as they stepped into the agency, earning various stares when they walked in.

Jeanist, Gang Orca, and other pro heroes Machiko didn't know stood in the room. The tension immediately doubled.

"Been a long time, Takato." Jeanist greeted her as she sighed.

"Certainly so." She looked around at all of them for a moment before crossing her arms across her chest, "So, are you gonna tell me what's going on, fellow pros? Or am I gonna have to sit here in suspense till you tell me the plan?" She cocked her head to the side, giving a look at Officer Tsukauchi who was on the screen along with many other pro heroes that she knew.

Damn, this bad huh? Even All Might and Endeavor were here. On the other side of the screen, but details.

"You're always right on top of things, it seems." Jeanist let out a sigh, "You probably are aware of the general information, Takato, correct?"

"Yeah, that kid from the Sports Festival right?" Machiko sighed, "I was gonna recruit him for the internships, but you beat me to that one. Not to mention that I had been away on an assignment when it was going on." She looked over at Jeanist, "Even you couldn't knock some sense into that kid?"

"He's notoriously stubborn." Jeanist responded, "I found very few as stubborn as he is. He's probably fighting back. We need to take action."

"I agree, the kid might be stubborn as all hell, but he won't be able to handle a strong power of pro villains leaking out to keep him there. There's also no telling if they will relocate to a different location." Machiko responded, adding her two sense into the mess before looking up to the screen to Officer Tsukauchi, "What's the plan on that one, Officer?"

"Thanks to one of the students putting a tracking device on the students, we were able to find that were two hideouts the villains have. Thanks to our investigations, we know where Bakugou is. We'll have to send our heaviest group there. We need to retrieve Bakugou. At the same time, we'll block the other hideout and capture everyone else."

"Seems fair enough. If there's Nomu like in the USJ incident there, then we'll have to work fast." Machiko had only known about that because the Nomu had been a discussion in the underground that's been spreading lately, "However, I am concern if how these Nomu were made, what if there are people in there that have been turned into possible experiments?"

It was something that she knew everyone around didn't want to address. However, she was certain Tsukauchi had to have thought of that.

"We have reason to believe that Ragdoll is in there possibly. We'll have to consider that option as well. The Nomu being in there need to be taken down. As for anyone that's actually alive, I highly doubt that is the case. Ragdoll is another story, but everyone else, I highly doubt. The least we can do now is retrieve Bakugou."

Machiko couldn't argue with that. He was probably right about that. It was unfortunate they didn't figure it out. Either way, they had a job to do, and doing this might save people.

It was like All Might said, they couldn't save everyone. That was why it was important to save people that were within their reach, and Machiko made it in her intention to save the people that she could reach. At any cost.

Fists clenched at the police officer's worse, following a firm nod, "Then let's make sure no one else receives that kind of treatments from these bastards again."

XXXX

"I've got a bad feeling about this."

Aiden shivered, feeling chills running down his spine at the building that was standing in the city. They were hidden so well for being in the middle of the city. It was kind of scary really, but then again, so was the other missions they went on.

He and Youto were both taken aback at the entrance. While Machiko sighed, resting a hand on her hip.

She deep down agreed. However, she assumed that there was much worse that could've been going down. They had to make sure no one got close to them. If things broke out.

"If you're so worried about the tension here, you should make sure the citizens stay back, Aiden," Machiko told him. A heavy sigh, escaping her lips, "You know we've always had had something worse." Infiltrating the underground was never a fun thing, after all. There was always some sort of bloodshed they have to see. It always reminded her why her work her agency was so important. They needed to save those that they could save.

After all, she wasn't able to save them when she was kids. What's worse, is if she ever found out some of her former friends were still alive, she wasn't sure if she deserved their friendship again.

"Let's get this moving." Jeanist turned over to Mount Lady, "Get ready. Machiko, get ready to blast those things out. Aiden, trap them in your shadows. Youto, use your super speed on the others in case they get too fast. Tiger, you'll have to retrieve Ragdoll the moment it drops."

"But what if Ragdoll gets caught up?" Tiger asked.

"It might be more dangerous if we do that." Gang Orca declared with a sigh, "It'll interrupt our chances to get the Nomu out of there."

"I agree, and we already have knowledge on where Ragdoll is at." Jeanist nodded, "You'll just have to trust us on this one, Tiger."

"Gotcha, Fiber Master." Machiko pulled out her electricity spear from her back, preparing a stance as she watched Mount Lady grow big, using a truck to crash down the building.

In an instant, Tiger moved quickly to retrieve his friend. While the Nomu appeared quickly that hadn't been brought down by the building tumbling down.

Nomu still charged, but a quarter of them had been wrapped in Jeanist's quirk while one other quarter of them were being wrapped around by shadows coming from Aiden, quickly trapping them. The other half charged forward.

Gang Orca used a powerful hypersonic wave at the ones charging. While Machiko opened an electricity blast with the power of her spear, backing the Nomu in the ground.

Jeanist took his chance to wrap the rest of them around why Youto dashed quickly to knock out the other Nomu who withstood Machiko and Gang Orca's attacks.

Tiger quickly came out, landing beside Machiko before looking at her, "She doesn't look good. What did they do to her."

Machiko lowered her weapon before walking over to see if his comrade in arms was alright. She seemed like she was breathing, but…

She looked pale, dazed as if life was sapped away. It wasn't looking like she was responding. This wasn't…

This wasn't like anything she has seen before. Was she drugged? Was she brainwashed? What happened to her…

She motioned Youto over in an instant and he came speeding next to her, "Yes, Takato?"

"Do me a favor and get her out of here. Get her to one of the doctors in the agency. See what they can do to find it." She looked over at Tiger, "I hope you don't mind me taking a course of action. There's something that happened to her and I don't like it." She felt a chill in the wind as it blew around them as well. This wasn't right to her. This was way too easy, "Trust me." She told him, "We'll get to the bottom of this."

"That won't be necessary, my dear."

Machiko pulled out her spear in an instant, "Get her out of here, Youto."

"But-"

"Don't 'but' me, get her to safety, _now_." Machiko's voice was filled with venom and Tiger knew the feeling she had felt as he learned it himself. He handed Ragdoll to Youto before Machiko pointed her spear at the source of the voice, seeing various threads of clothing trying to bind the man in seconds coming from Jeanist.

And she fired the powerful electricity blast in an instant, hoping to keep him down for the time being. With Jeanist's clothing threads holding him down, she should've pulled a direct hit.

"Takato, Jeanist, what the hell?" Mt. Lady's eyes widened at the sudden attacks. Were they nuts? They could've killed a civilian for all they know, "Are you two nuts? That could've been a bystander."

"We can't think of that right now," Machiko stated, gritting her teeth. The League had someone as strong as All Might operating in the shadows. If this is actually him, then they needed to contain him now. This wasn't going to be good if they didn't take initiative.

She charged another electricity pulse in her hand, firing it again. She had to be sure she did some damage, even if it seemed to be a bit overkill. If that dude is as strong as All Might, then there's no way that one attack did anything. So, she continued to blast at him, trying to take cautionary action. If she connected with her quirk right now without knowing his power, it could be suicide for her.

Two times she had fired it before she felt herself being suddenly pulled back, seeing red lightning crackling in the smoke before her life flashed before her eyes, feeling hit the ground with a hard thud. She heard an inhumane crack and pain shot through her entire body. Smoke was around her, unable to see if the others were around.

A coughing fit escaped her lips, spitting out some blood. Her mind was distorted. Vision, blurring constantly in and out.

The smoke cleared and Machiko's breathing was slow, heavy as if she had just gotten the wind knocked out of her. She sure felt like she got hit, but this energy now. This evil, evil energy.

She was unable to feel anything like this ever in her life. Not since…

This isn't happening right now. No, no, no…

This could not be the same person she saw. The one that had been lurking in the darkness when she was a kid in her old home before it had been ultimately dismantled.

A shadow floated upwards in the air; exactly where the source of the dark, booming energy was at. It was like Machiko had seen her death, and she nearly did.

"What the hell are you?" She sat upwards, wincing in pain at her wounds. A hand rose to her ribs, only showing the crimson red substance flowing out of her body. She definitely cracked a rib. No, she cracked two of them when she felt the impact of that attack. This was bad. She could pass out from blood loss at any second now. The others, including Aiden and Jeanist, were all down too.

What the fuck was happening here? He took all of them out at once.

This man...no, this bastard…

He was an absolute monster.

"Ah, I thought that the blast would've knocked you out. I'm impressed." The man in the suit chuckled, floating down towards them, "Your reputation precedes you, Miss Takato. You didn't use your quick against me. That was a bold move, but you charged me without a plan. Your intentions could've killed me." Mockery fell from his lips, chuckling softly, "How ironic for the great Covert Hero. The woman who got so strong in order to help others."

"I didn't even get a chance to see that powerful quirk of yours. That doesn't matter anymore. I originally didn't intend to kill you, anyway. After all, there is simply no need considering you and a dear friend still need to reunite." All for One chuckled, knowing fully well that an eventual reunion with Tomura and with that girl Tomura was so interested in.

It would be such a shame if he never got to hear where that went. As far as he concerned, if she even survived her wounds, he would get to see Tomura destroy the dear friend of his that was so far gone, and eventually, move his pieces to convert another one that was gone but still left promise.

Unfortunately, it was so sad that Machiko herself couldn't get such a second opportunity.

Machiko tried to talk but a coughing fit of blood stopped her. She was losing consciousness, but she had wanted to know what he had meant by that. There was nothing but a blurred of her vision. She had lost so much blood at this point that she was losing consciousness. She was unable to utter a word, yet tried to stand up, tried to get up, but her arms would not lift her. They would not, however. She didn't have the strength to even fight.

And that's when her whole world went dark.

 **Annnnd done! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please favorite/follow if you like, and leave a review to leave your thoughts.**

 **I'm gonna get to my anon reviews now.**

 **BrokenConscience: Thank you so much for the review. Yeah, I ship them too. Extremely hard, but man, they have a lot of issues now considering what happened. Lol I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.**

 **Anyways, I'll see you all next time!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello there! I hope you enjoy this chapter! My Hero Academia belongs to Hirokoshi! I only own my OCs.**

It was ten in the morning. Himari was already running late, but it was because she wasn't too familiar with this area. Nonetheless, when she received word that Machiko was being held in the hospital, she had to go. She wanted to go. She felt so bad after finding out that she had been injured, but she needed to see her. She needed to be convinced that none of this was her fault.

She also needed to talk to Yuu and see her after finding out what happened to her in Kamino. Her and Machiko were both affected along with many of the other pro heroes.

And All Might was slated in retirement. It was all over the news when she got up this morning. It was something she never expected. She and many other people found All Might to be invisible. It was crazy that he was retired.

It was also crazy what she saw on the television. That man had used multiple quirks so the conclusion she had found a while back, was true. He had to have been the same man she was trying to decipher a while back.

She was running around the crowd, trying to dodge many people coming into her direction. She got out of the small crowd a few seconds later, panting.

Her phone started vibrating, in her pocket the moment she got out of it, seeing it was her grandma. Picking it up, she answered, "Hello?"

She was suddenly shoved by a few people, dropping her cell phone. A heavy sigh escaped her lips before she slowly picked it up, putting it to her ear, "Sorry, I'm kind of downtown right now."

"You were worrying me a lot. You didn't talk to me at all after the summer camp. I was worried sick about you, Himari. Your grandfather and I both were worried." Himari's grandmother talked fast on the other side of the phone call, panting out of breath after she finished speaking

The sudden speed of talking threw Himari off as well as loud her grandmother was. Uh oh…

"Ah, I'm so sorry." Himari breathed out, scratching her cheek, continuing to walk towards the hospital, "There was a lot I had to do yesterday I didn't mean to worry you. I had a meeting with Principal Nezu, and I was exhausted from the other night. I was in the hospital to make sure I wasn't too banged up."

A sigh escaped her grandmother's lips, "I apologize then for my outburst then, sweetie. I was just really worried about you. You didn't answer your phone, you didn't text me or anything. I'm just really glad to hear the sound of your voice after everything that's happened."

Himari bit her lip nervously, feeling a flash of memories coming to her over the last two days. The memory of the entire camp being attacked, Dabi, trying to stop Dabi, almost getting kidnapped, failing to save Bakugou, failing to help the students out as well, seeing Principal Nezu, and trying to train.

Those memories made her heart speed up. She sighed, "I'm glad to hear from you too. I'm sorry I didn't answer, but as I said, I was busy." She stopped in her tracks to see a few reporters heading her way.

Oh boy, she better keep her head down and act like she was busy. She did not need this attention right now.

"Don't worry about it. You don't need to apologize." Her grandmother sighed, "I can't imagine what you went through there, Himari. Did you get hurt at all?"

Another flash, the last few moments she had been conscious when she prepared to face Dabi head on. Not that she wanted to, but she knew Bakugou didn't deserve what had happened to him. Nor did anyone. No one deserved that. That's why she had to stand against Dabi that night. Even though she still cared about him, it was because she cared not only for the others but for him that she couldn't let him do that, and in the end, she failed.

She's been having flashes of those memories in her sleep since the incident, "No, I was a lot better than what the students went through. It reminded me of what you and grandfather spoke about when I was training with my quirk." She tightened the grip on her phone, hoping the reporters passing by would just leave her alone, "The burdens we carry having these useful quirks for villains is the reason why we need to prepare these students for what will happen later down the road. We need to protect them for now so they may one day rise up to become a hero that could fight the things we heroes face every day. If our quirks are useful, we need to make them useful to help the people around us. We help those that can't defend themselves from those lurking in the shadows trying to use them for their own personal gain."

She clenched her phone tighter, walking a bit faster this time, passing right past the reporters, hearing a 'hey' before speeding up faster. If they didn't catch up to her, they wouldn't be able to put more attention on her.

"That part is kind of unlike you. Yuuei has really helped you, hasn't it?" Her grandmother chuckled, "Still, I can't help but worry that you might be put in the crossfire again. Put in a situation like you were. You might come out worse, this time." She knew her quirk was useful. She had banged it into Himari's head so much as a kid that she knew it all too well, "But you knew that coming into this, didn't you?"

While it's true she knew she would get the unwanted attention she had wanted, she knew, for a fact, that her perspective has changed a little since arriving at Yuuei. She wanted to have a quiet life, that much was still true. She really just wanted to be her own hero, but she learned that she needed to fight to be her own hero.

Despite it all, maybe Nezu had been right. Maybe Tenko is someone she really needed to leave out of her mind. She was always getting pulled back and forth. Almost like a game of tug of war. One side was pulling her to where Nezu was telling her to go. The other was trying to tell her not to give up on Tenko just yet. She knew why he was doing this. At least, that's what she thought.

She had to at least try to save him right? That's something she hadn't done yet. She hadn't tried, and she would never know until she tried.

She had to at least attempt to. She had to. For her own reasons and for Machiko's too.

"Of course I did." She sighed, knowing all too well the cost of having her surrounded by attention, "It's important for me to fight for my happy ending, but it's more important for these kids to have their happy ending too."

"You're always putting others ahead of yourself." Her grandmother stated, with happiness mixed with grim in her voice, "I can't stop you if you want to continue. You're your own person. You're not the little girl your grandfather and I took in anymore. I have to trust you on your decisions. All I ask you is to be careful. Ask for help when you need it, and please, keep your head up. It's people with your heart that keeps this world's light shining brightly."

That was something that was needed. Keeping her head up even if she was going through a lot already. She knew what she had to do. She had to try to save her old friend, she had to help Dabi get on a new path too, she needed to continue helping the students of Yuuei, and no matter what, she had to keep fighting for her own happiness.

"Grandma, thank you, I think I needed that talk." Himari let out a heavy breath of fresh up, finally seeing the hospital view in her sights, "You always know what to say to get me out of a funk. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't, honey. Keep wearing that beautiful heart on your sleeve." Her grandma remarked, "I'll talk to you a bit more tonight, considering you're out right now. Sorry for bothering you, child."

"No, thank you, grandma. I really needed that. You kept me company on the way of my destination." She wished she could tell her about Tenko, Dabi, and everything that's happened, but that could put her into some danger, "I'll talk to you in a bit."

As soon as she hung up the phone, she immediately spotted the same group of people that went past her earlier, "Hey, you're one of the staff members at Yuuei, right?"

No wonder Aizawa hated the media so much. They were like an itch you couldn't scratch off.

"You were at the summer camp right?"

"You were also hired for the sole purpose of helping the students. Tell me, how are you going to guide them after this mess?"

"Do you feel any guilt in not being able to stop them?"

The questions were building and building in her head, feeling the flashes of memories coming back over and over again. It was making her heart speed up. She felt her anxiety rising.

"Are you outlets back again?"

A hand slapped on her shoulder, snapping her out of it, "Listen, this young lady just wants to come in and pay some respects to someone in here. Don't be harassing her now."

The man before her looked a bit older than her. Messy brown curly hair. Purple eyes shining, "The Takato agency isn't allowing the media outlets around hospital grounds at this time. Please make your story somewhere else." He beams at them before they all sigh.

"Takato is still in the hospital so how are you even in charge?" The blond girl with the microphone asked, glaring at him.

"My colleague told you to leave earlier. He runs the agency when our leader isn't around. So I suggest you listen to what I have to say. You can get your sweet story after a couple more days, but we all faced a lot over the course of the night." He forgot he was still quite bandaged up, but that's okay. He got a lot luckier than the rest of them. Jeanist and Takato were the two that were injured the most. They had a long way to go.

A sigh escaped his lips, "I hope you understand. We need some space after what happened. Which is why the Takato agency is not allowing the press to investigate the conditions of Best Jeanist and my boss at this time." He adjusted his purple tie a little more tight than what it usually was.

"We'll be back then." Came the cue from the blond woman, gesturing her cameramen to follow her before turning back to the brunette boy, "but I got my eye on you."

"And I appreciate that, ma'am. I got nothing to hide." He winked at her before she and her cameraman stormed off. He looked over at the pink haired girl he just helped out, "Sorry about them."

Wait, he's seen this girl on television before. Holy crap, did they say earlier that she was one of Yuuei's staff members?

"Ah, don't worry about it." Himari turned, shooting the man a smile, scratching the back of her head, "I doubt I've seen the last of them. I should be thanking you. I get really nervous about this kind of pressure."

"Really?" The male was dumbfounded at that. A Yuuei staff member doesn't know how to handle the media? That's pretty odd, "I thought you Yuuei staff members would know how to handle the media with the way they breathe down your necks. You guys are practically famous just for being in Yuuei."

Himari found her face heating up, "Ah, yeah-yeah, everyone gets surprised that I'm not that used to it. I've only been in Yuuei for a small amount of time, but I doubt I'll ever get used to the attention." Himari chuckled, fidgeting at his words. She lets out a heavy sigh before speaking up, "You're a part of the Takato agency?"

"That's right! I'm Aiden, I'm one of Takato-san's higher-ups. The one that's above me was around here earlier. You looking for an autograph or something?" He beams happily, getting ready to pull out his trusty notebook.

Himari blushed in embarrassment, moving her hands up in exaggeration, "Uhh, no thank you."

Aiden sulked. A dark cloud, going around him, "Man, I never get offered autographs. It's always Takato-san or Youto-kun. Never me though. You'd think being so high in an agency like Takato-san's would give me that."

Himari blinked, now feeling a little sorry for the guy, "Ah, I'm sorry, but I was here to see Takato along with Mount Lady."

Aiden pulled out some black rectangle, putting them on as he pulls out a book, "Let's see, 'if a person asks to visit. Make sure you find out what their affiliation is with said person." He tosses the book to the ground, "Ah, yes, what a tragedy, I don't even know how to convey this." He puts a hand to his forehead.

Himari blinks a few times at the sight of him. He's really weird for Machiko's third in command. He was reading notes his second in command left him.

A shadow suddenly popped up, startling Himari as it flips into reality. The shadow stripe, slapping the book and Aiden catches it without a problem, "Boy, they got the wrong guy doing this shit, but you heard me," He closed the book, "What's your affiliation with them?"

That must be his quirk. "Ah, well, I met Mount Lady when she was at Yuuei once. As for Machiko, I'm a childhood friend of hers." Himari replied with a small smile on her face, "I've kept well in contact with Mount Lady though."

"Whoa, you're one of Machiko's old friends? But how do I know that? Anyone can tell me that." Aiden put a hand on his chin, wondering what else to really say.

However, Himari's voice cut him off, "Ah, sure, but by that logic, you can tell anyone that. Besides, do I look like I would deceive you when the media was trying to get me to talk?"

Aiden sighed, resting a hand on his hips "Point, taken, but Takato has a few fans. She inspires a huge group of people. Catch my drift?" Nothing shy of amazing, "But I guess I can't really harass you when you put it like that. Especially when the media follows you Yuuei staff members like your some kind of lost puppy." He gestures over her to follow him, "I'll get you over Machiko's room, but be forewarned, she did have a transfusion when she arrived here. So she might be a bit tired."

A firm nod followed, "That's alright, so as long as I can see her." She smiled brightly.

The walk down there had been a long one, but Himari had to face her. She had to talk to her. Now that she knew she was around, she absolutely needed to do this.

She wanted to trust Machiko about what happened to their old friend. Granted, she knew she wasn't close to Tenko as she was. However, she felt like she shouldn't say anything, especially in the condition she was in.

However, Himari still wanted to see her regardless. After not knowing for years she was around, she needed to have this talk with her.

"Here we are." Aiden's voice called, now staring at the door "Say I didn't get your name by the way." Now that he remembered…

They stepped into the room before noticing Machiko jerked upwards, eyes widening. She winced the moment she sat upright.

Aiden immediately rushed over to her side, "Hey, you shouldn't move too fast. Your wounds might reopen…"

"Himari? Is that…" She trailed off as Himari walked closer to the bed. She made sure to come over slowly so she wouldn't startle her.

"Yeah, it's me." Himari bit her lip nervously, feeling a lump building in her throat, resting a hand on her own chest, letting out a heavy sigh.

Silence befell the room as tension built, but it wasn't bad tension. It was as if the two women were taking in there energy with one another, realizing that the others were alive. Aiden stood there in silence, knowing that they needed some kind of peace and quiet. He didn't even know what was really going on but something was telling him not to say anything. Not to interfere with their time together. He was hoping everything was okay. He couldn't tell what was going on. They were childhood friends, right? So why were they so quiet?

Shouldn't they be happy?

Then he snapped out of it when he realized what was going on. He never saw Machiko so soft to someone in his time working with her. She always had her emotions in check no matter how bad the situations they had been in were. This felt, like a truly beautiful scene to watch to him. He didn't know anything about this Himari girl but while she was tense, he could now tell her emotions were relaxing.

"Hey." Himari gave a small wave to her. She put on a bright smile. Relief washed away her stress the moment she saw Machiko. She was feeling much more peaceful that one of her friends weren't going crazy. That one of them weren't lost to the stars. She breathed in and breathed out, "I…"

Warm arms wrapped around her shoulders suddenly, feeling the warmth of her old friend holding her. Himari almost stumbled back from the force of the hug but relaxed the moment she felt jet black hair locks falling onto her pale skin.

"I'm so happy to see you." Machiko closed her eyes, burying her face into Himari's shoulders.

Himari returned the hug, wrapping her arms around her old friend. She was relieved too. This felt like a world she didn't know. With everything that's been happening, she was ecstatic that Machiko was back in her life. It felt like someone had just come back from the dead. She was happy she was there with her now.

This was the best idea she had. Not only would she be able to see Mount Lady, but her old friend too.

"I was...I was worried about you." Himari remembered seeing the news cameras of everyone that was done when All Might came to the scene to help. She saw Machiko's dismantled body, bleeding as someone tried to rush back to their aid, but couldn't due to the force of the battle, "I saw…" She trailed off, trying to find the right words, "I saw that man...no, that monster, destroy you and the others like you were nothing." That man shattered them like they were nothing, "I heard he was taken into custody, and I was relieved. I was also relieved to get the news from Principal Nezu on you. I don't know what I would've done if I found out you were alive only for you to just die."

"I'm sorry, I should've come to you far sooner, but I had an assignment out overseas," Machiko let go of Himari, sending a smile, "but I'm still here. I'm still here so we can see each other." She felt her body tense up at the image and memories of that night. The explosions were back into her head, the smell of fire came into her nostrils as if she had been there all over again. The crashes and screams of everyone out there echoed in her ears, making her heart rate jump and how the sight of that man a few days before helping her out.

Had that been...

Had that been the reason why that man's voice on the battlefield sounded so familiar? Is that why she showed familiarity the moment he came into the battle?

"Don't be sorry, Machiko." Himari put a hand on her shoulder, "We've come here together now and that's all that matters." She noticed some tensity in Machiko's body, "Hey, is there something the matter?"

"That man…" Machiko's smile faded in remembrance of his voice, "That man who attack me and the others; he was...familiar to me."

The image of a man with white-haired, wearing a black suit and tie came back to her, offering a hand for her to reach when she was just a small kid came into view. Then it flashed back to when some of the heroes had helped her that tragic night. The crackling of the fire burning, burning and burning as she spotted his shadow as a child. She didn't remember much due to the intense pain and hell she endured, watching her parents getting attacked by villains. They had been slaughtered by them repeatedly, to protect her.

"I think...I think I understand now." Machiko looked at her open right palm, "I think I understand why he was so familiar. I didn't understand it on the battlefield, but I understand it now. When I woke up here, I saw flashes of that night that we endured in my head again." It had been so long since she had flashes of that night, but after that battle, it made sense why, "I think I met that man a long time ago. A few days before the incident, and I…" She remembers the flashing of the flames that night and a man hiding in the shadows, "I saw him again during the night everything was falling apart. I don't remember much but seeing him staring at me." She then remembered the last words he said to her before she went unconscious in the battlefield, "He says that I had to live to reunite with an old friend. He must've meant you, but I don't understand why he meant you."

Himari's eyes went wide at her last sentence. No, she knew exactly who he was talking about. All for One wasn't talking about her, he was talking about Tenko…

Go on, Himari, tell her. Just tell her already. She deserved to know. They were old friends after all. Machiko needed to know the truth about him…

So why can't she just bring herself to tell her?

It probably had to do with Nezu's reasoning on keeping her connection with Tenko a secret. If the media or anyone got word of that, they could tarnish Yuuei's name. They could make everything worse for not only herself but everyone around her. No one would trust Hero Society if that got out. She couldn't say anything to her. It wouldn't be right to put her into this.

She didn't need to get involved.

"I…" Himari let out a heavy sigh, "I don't know either…" She averted her eyes away from Machiko. There was no way she could just tell her. It broke her heart that she couldn't. She knew she knew all too well.

What does this mean? Does this mean with the knowledge she knew now? Now that she knew All for One had been there that night…

Did that mean he was the one that saved Tenko that night? It couldn't…

Then again, that would make a lot of sense. He had this hatred towards heroes, and it was all falling into the right places.

"All for One is being put into maximum security prison according to what one of my subordinates told me. They put him in Tartarus so I doubt we have nothing to worry about." Although, Machiko didn't know that entirely. That monster she faced; that raw power…

That encounter would be in her head for the rest of her life. The trauma from last night...

Himari thought about that and realized that she was probably right. They didn't have to worry about him being around anymore, but his words to Machiko made her worry about her. If he knew about her existence too. Who's to say that Tenko might find out about Machiko eventually? Sure, they weren't as close as she was with Tenko, but if that happened, if they faced in battle…

There was no doubt that currently, Tenko would just kill her and blame the heroes for having to kill her.

"Himari? Something's on your mind, isn't it?" Machiko looked at her, sighing as silence dwells for a moment, "I know that you were there when the camping incident happened. You must be trying to heal too, but it's alright, I can help you." She always would help her. She was her friend, her old, old friend, "Now that I've seen you again and we've reconciled, I don't want you to ever forget I'm a phone call away or nearby." She wanted to help Himari not only because of the circumstances but because she wanted to keep in contact with her.

"I-I-" Himari wanted to tell her, she really did, but she didn't think she could. She gets Machiko has this big agency she was running now, but that still didn't change the situation. She wasn't unbeatable. Just look at what happened to her in this situation. There's no telling that while the League doesn't have someone as strong as All Might anymore, it might not change the fact that Machiko could get that hurt again.

That isn't what she wanted. Not at all. She couldn't get another person involved with their situation. She could tell her about Tomura another time.

"Thank you, but I don't think I'm entirely ready to talk about what's on my mind yet. I'll be okay though. I'll let you know when I am if I need it." She told her, giving a small smile, trying to show her that she'll be okay. She will be, it's just irking her she couldn't tell her yet.

Himari handed her phone to Machiko, issuing her to her phone number in, "We can talk more at another date, but thank you for sharing. I'm here if you need it too. Don't forget that. I know you're very busy, but please, you need to take care of yourself, especially after everything that's happened."

Machiko typed in her phone number to her, handing her phone back, "Please take your own advice, Himari. I know those kiddos need you, but you need to take care of yourself as well so you can be the best counselor to those students that you can be."

"I should get going, Machiko, but thank you. I appreciate that." She could tell her eventually. That much is known, but she doesn't know how much time she had left before Tenko eventually finds her again, but she knew there would be someone watching her. While it made her sad, she trusted the Principal to make the right decision on that one.

"You're welcome to the agency whenever you want." Machiko smiled, "I hope to see you soon."

Himari got a few steps to the doorway before she smiled, "Yes, of course, Machiko. I have to see a friend and then get going back to Yuuei. Principal Nezu wants to see the teachers that were involved in the incident at the summer camp, but I'll definitely see you soon." She walked out of the doorway.

Machiko heard her footsteps until she was gone. Aiden's body came into the view of the white plastered doorway.

"Sorry, I figured I needed to step out and let you reconnect." Counselor of Yuuei huh? There was something he had to do with someone from Yuuei. He hasn't had the time to look at the info though.

"Thank you." Came a firm nod as Machiko rested herself onto the hospital bed, "Now, I remember you wanted to talk to me about something before someone pulled you away from here."

"Yes," He cleared his throat, "I know you wanted me to come with you to investigate the Eight Precepts of Death, but I'm afraid I got some news this morning. Principal Nezu came to see me before I was discharged earlier, and he's asked me to take up a mission."

Machiko let out a heavy sigh, crossing her legs, "What kind of mission?"

"Well, honestly, I don't wanna say anything out in public, but it's got something to do with one of the staff members." Aiden replied with a sigh, walking over to rest himself on the hospital chair a few feet away from her, "I'm supposed to watch them."

"You're free to say anything. I don't know why you're paranoid; the media won't be able to hear any of this. Nor would anyone else. If Principal Nezu put you on a mission, I can get someone else to help us go into the Eight Precepts of Death and spy on them from the inside." Machiko didn't feel like it was a total loss. She had a group of people to rely on for this mission and quite honestly, it might be better off if she handles this entire incognito mission on her own. She wasn't sure if her colleagues were prepared for what they might have to see down in the underground.

"Right, I know, but I guess I'm overly paranoid from the records with got from Giran when we were overseas on the phone with him. I know you gotta see him in a couple of weeks, but the Eight Precepts are sneaky people, especially their boss man, Overhaul. Dude has a ton of crimes he's been known for. According to our records that we got that he covers up his crimes. " It was gonna be a dangerous mission. He wanted to be there, but he wasn't sure how long this mission he just got would last. "Anyways, Principal Nezu says this mission really needs to stay secret. You're the only one who can know about this."

A heavy sigh fell on Machiko's lips, "If you think I can't handle some secrecy despite running an agency for a while now, you're insane." She groaned, "Don't worry too much about that now. You do what Principal Nezu needs you to do. I'm sure you couldn't pass it up when you found out someone needed some protection." It doesn't sound that bad, but if Nezu wanted this between Aiden and herself, there had to be some reason, "You're not one to turn your back on someone that needs help."

Just what was going on? She had to trust Nezu on this one, she guessed, "Alright, but you better be careful on this mission, okay? If Nezu's hiding shit and you get killed, I'll be the first person to chew him out for it." The stuff she was telling him was so vague. Nezu had to be hiding something now.

Aiden chuckled softly, "Doubt you really need to worry too much. Doesn't sound like they'll be too many issues. I don't think I'll deal with any fighting. Just sounds like if 'you see trouble, contact Nezu', that's it. I'll be sure to call for backup if things do get worse."

"Aiden." Machiko barked, voice sharp, "You get involved in anything, contact the agency if I'm away by then. I won't take any chances in case they end up screwing up. You can contact Nezu, but if I come back to find you're dead or worse, I'm gonna raise hell." She wouldn't like disobeying Nezu's order, but if Aiden ended up in trouble, he needed to trust the others to help him. Her agency and Nezu's both.

"Hey, I gotta say the same thing to you, boss lady." He sighed, "You're dealing with a dangerous mission yourself. Overhaul's a dude you don't wanna mess with. Don't get found out by him. If he finds out you're around there spying, he'll kill you."

She nodded, feeling a flicker of fear hit her, thinking about the reality of that, "Can't say I've not come to terms already with that. I'll tread carefully. You know I always do in these situations."

He gets up from where he's sitting, grabbing his bag, "I'll have to catch you soon then. I've actually gotta start on it tonight. I'll keep in contact with you through text though if you need anything."

"Good luck." Machiko told him, "Don't die."

Aiden sighed, giving a grin to her, "It's not like you to worry about me so much Machiko, but I'll be a-okay." He sent a thumbs up before walking out of the hospital room, yawning to himself.

It seems things were heating up for all of them even after the incident in Kamino. Such is the world they live in, Machiko guessed.

She needed to heal so she could get ready to infiltrate the Eight Precepts of Death. She needed her full energy if she was gonna act as a trades expert for them. She needed her full energy if she had to fight too while she was in there. That much was certain.

Sir Nighteye wasn't gonna be happy that they were doing this, but this was her field of expertise. He couldn't possibly think that going out in the open for investigation might tip off the leader.

Oh well, only one way to find out how things go. Time would tell that one.

 **The plot is really thickening now! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and thank you so much for supporting this fic. I really appreciate it! Feel free to follow** **and favorite if you like or send a review on your thoughts on the story!**

 **Now, to review replies to anon reviewers!**

 **BrokenConscience: Ah! I'm so glad you had your day brightened by me! I'm so excited to get to Eri and Overhaul. Ahhh the fic ideas! Yes, Dadzawa is the best as well as DadMight. Himari is like the aunt of Yuuei let's be real here haha. Fanfics of my fanfic? Ah, you're very sweet! I love the image of that. She would be so happy to help Aizawa take care of Eri. Would probably pop in every now and again to watch them while he's doing underground work.**

 **Damn it, now you're giving me ideas! *shakes fist* But we'll see how this goes :)**

 **Anyways, I'll catch you all soon!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Whew, it's been a while everyone! I hope you're doing well. This chapter is a bit longer than normal to make up for the late update. I had a pretty rough start to 2019 in the beginning of the year but I am doing much better. I was in the hospital for a few days and while I was there, I lost my writing for a bit. My semester hasn't been helping out either. I can't say how updates will be because this semester has been kicking my ass and I'll be moving in two months so please bear with me for the next two months.**

 **With this said, let the chapter begin!**

"You were later than expected."

Yuu sat on the hospital bed. Her tired eyes, glanced from her book over to Himari. She was bandaged up from the incident. Through her ribs underneath her hospital uniform and a few scratches on her face. Her nose was also covered as well, broken from Mr. Compress colliding with her.

Himari stepped out of the doorway, advancing to a seat close to her bed. She took a seat, sending a gentle smile to her friend,, "Ah, sorry Yuu, I went over to visit an old friend before coming over here. I didn't expect it to be that long of a visit."

"An old friend?" Yuu asked curiously, "Who would you be talking about?"

"Hanato Machiko." Himari replied, "After you left me with Principal Nezu, he gave me some information about her.." She rubbed the back of her head, letting out a sigh, leaning in the seat, "I actually thought she was dead."

"Oh?" Yu's head tilted to the side, confused, " Is she some kind of hero too?"

"Yeah actually," Himari nodded, "it's actually not surprising you don't know her hero name. She tends to keep her real name dead these days. Only a few really know. Takato is her hero name. She's the head of the Takato Hero Agency, a group devoted to helping ex villains get back on their feet. Her agency takes in a lot vigilantes and those who weren't able to get their hero licenses when they were in high school. A lot of these cases are still pretty common. Some high school students don't have the proper grades to get into the Hero Courses or they learn far slower than those that make it into it." Himari was happy her old friend was devoting herself to helping so many people. It was inspirational, "She also takes in a lot of people who she's rescued from the underground that don't have anywhere to go along with people who seek asylum from the underground that have no way of achieving skills."

"Whoa, you mean _the_ Takato?" Yuu nearly jumped from her hospital bed, feeling her injuries ache, "Are you serious? I've been a fan of her since she opened up the Takato agency. They're totally awesome. Her top leaders that run the agency are super cool. You got the Trackster Hero: Speeuto whose fourth in command. The Shadow Hero: Kagemusha, who's third, and the second in command: Helping Healing Hero: Doctor Pragmatic. I know her second in command isn't much of a fighter, but she runs the entire medical part of the agency. Speeuto commands the Hero in Training and the Education based Units. Kagemusha commands the Investigation unit, and Machiko controls all of them, but she also helps Speeuto with combat. I'm super jealous of her getting a group uprising like that." She foldly sighs, "I'd totally ask you to hook me up, but I wouldn't want to be rude." She totally wanted to know how Himari knew her, "So how do you two know each other?" The public knew little to nothing about Takato's personal life.

"Oh? Um, we grew up in the same village together." Himari replied, feeling her mood quietly tank at the memory of what felt like forever ago but at the same time, felt like it wasn't that long ago, "Machiko and I were friends there and we play together, laugh together" Does she dare say who it was? She really didn't want Yu to know who it was, especially since it was actually the now Leader of the League of Villains, "She was like a big sister for us. She was always trying to protect our friend group, but our village was under attack when we were kids and all of us were separated. Many people in our friend group died."

She really didn't want to make this situation about her. She was here to see if she was doing okay. She shouldn't be putting her emotional baggage on her while she was here.

Yuu felt bad for asking now. She didn't mean to put dark memories into Himari's heart, "I'm sorry then, perhaps I shouldn't of been so rude about asking. I didn't want to bring dark memories back to you, Himari…" Yu looked a little sad for a moment, looking away from Himari before she spoke louder this time. The edge in her voice that she rarely heard from her, if ever.

"No, it's fine, Yuu, really. I don't expect you to be a mind reader." Himari straightened her posture in her seat, "I shouldn't be bringing up my past to you anyways right now. You should be resting. You already went through a lot already. I don't need to burden you with what happened to me when I was a child." She probably shouldn't of said anything really. Goodness, randomly saying something like that out of left field just made her look so awkward.

"No, it's fine, you've been through a lot recently." Yuu let out a small smile at her, "It's just not like you to be late, but you look like you feel a lot better than the last time I saw you."

"I…" Himari took a deep breath, "I think I am. I mean, it's been really hard and..."

She was interrupted by Yuu grabbing her by the shoulders and her smile was completely faded, "Talk to me." She demanded. There was fire in her eyes. Fire that hadn't been there before, "I know you haven't felt well and I always offer you a reason to talk to me, but you never take it, so please, stop acting like everything is 'fine'. We both know you're not okay. You haven't been yourself since the mall incident."

It seemed like she was now hitting the wall she didn't want to hit, knowing well that a lot of people were worried, trying to reach out to her. She was getting there, so everything was fine, "I mean, I told you I was…" Himari began, trying to apologize, a little worried that she did, in fact, hurt her with her constant babbling. She didn't mean to make Yuu worry, "Everything's fine, Yuu." Himari gave a small smile, "It's been rough but I promised you I'm fine."

"Fine? Fine? You call being attacked by villians and hiding and isolating yourself over the last few weeks FINE?" Yuu raised her voice, startling Himari, "You're my friend, Himari. Everyone at Yuuei has been worried sick about you ever since the mall incident. We know something happened and it's been eating you up since!" Yu yelled, but she yelled because she cared about Himari. She didn't like seeing Himari like this. It killed her that she was hiding something from her constantly when she has time and time again told her to talk to her, "You scared every single one of us the other night at the summer camp. When you didn't answer your phone, I was so worried about you. I was worried you might've been dead. I get you've been through a lot," Her hands stretched to grab Himari's shoulders. Yu's eyes, staring directly at Himari's brown ones, "but you can't keep doing this to yourself. You can't hide this in your system. It's going to hurt you far worse than anything." Her voice quieted down, panting for a couple of seconds, continuing, "You don't wanna destroy yourself like that, Himari. You don't, so please, I'm asking you as your friend, talk to me."

The pink haired counselor of Yuuei found herself at a loss of words. Her brown eyes, widened in shock. Guilt built up in her body. Anxiety clings onto her like a child who was attached to their mother. Her heart rate was racing faster and faster. She hated worrying people, she hated not being able to tell people the truth but Nezu said it was the utmost importance not to tell anyone. It could ruin Yuuei. She didn't want Yuuei ruined because of her conflict with Tenko of all people. It was their involvement. Nothing more.

Yu and everyone else that wasn't already involved didn't need to be involved in this. This wasn't their battle. They didn't need to get dragged into this. That was certain.

However, she did think about telling her that her and Nezu had been talking about it. Would she be offended if she told her that?

It wouldn't be like she didn't trust her. Just that it was...really hard to get out. She couldn't tell Yu though. She would never put her in that kind of position. Didn't matter how strong of a hero she was, if the League was tracking her or rather, just waiting for the right moment to contact her, it was better if she did not get involved.

It was better this way.

The silence that filled the room caused Yu to groaned, sitting back in her bed, "Damn, you really won't talk to me." She let out a heavy sigh, kicking her legs in the air before crossing one over the other. Her chin rest on her face, "I don't get you sometimes, Himari. You're so nice and kind to everyone around you and we see your worth, but it breaks my heart that you don't see your own worth. Don't you see the happiness you give people? You give a lot of people hope. You help those kids out. You give every ounce of your soul out to people and you never expect anything in return."

She looks over to the door for a quick second before looking back to her, "but you never see how important you are to everyone around you. We care about you, and we would help you through anything. That's why I want you to know that it hurts us seeing you hurt and not talking to us. Friendship isn't a one way street. Whether you like it or not, if I see you need help, I'm gonna be there for you. That's what friends do."

Silence fell once again between them. Himari's eyes diverting away from Yu.

She felt like a terrible friend. She was always going out of her way for others, but she never stopped to brush herself off. It wasn't like she didn't appreciate Yu's help, but that stubborn nature…

It reminded her a lot of Machiko when they were kids. She was always the one keeping them together, keeping each other sane. When the kids in their village would start getting rude, Machiko was always the one yelling at them, standing up to them. She remembered the image of Machiko when they were kids, standing on top of a rock, stomping her feet. She would yell at the kids to go back to their homes and talk to their parents like that and see how they would feel.

She would always hold them when they cried, always picked the both of them up. She was the big sister of their trio.

No matter how much pain Machiko was in, she was always protecting them and trying to make them feel better over herself.

Yu was taking her place because Machiko wasn't here to give her that scolding. Thinking about it, Machiko would probably say the same thing to her.

Himari sighed, looking back over at Yu, straightening herself out in the chair she was sitting in, "Listen, I didn't want to upset you-"

"Himari, you weren't-"

"Let me finish, Yu, please." Himari sighed heavily, covering her face with her hands, sliding her hands up so Yu could see her face, "I didn't want to upset you, but I can't tell you what's been going on. Principal Nezu told me I can't tell anyone. I get you want to help, but Nezu told me to keep this a secret from everyone." This was enough right? Yu deserves an explanation, "I have to respect that. So, I'm sorry, Yu, I can't tell you. I can't tell you what's going on at all."

Damn, she got her there.

Well, Himari did talk to her, and that's something she respected but if Nezu told her to keep it a secret…

Then she would have to trust his intuition. Whatever was going on. However, if he decided to screw up, even a little bit, and something happened to Himari…

He would not hear the end of it from her. Himari had to be in some kind of danger, but if Nezu was taking the necessary steps and didn't want anyone else involved…

That had to be for a reason. It wasn't her place to say if that was the right decision.

"That damn mouse." Yu found herself angry, frustrated that she couldn't know. She didn't want to put Himari into trouble, but she was so angry she couldn't help, "I should've known that was the reason. I didn't mean to get so worked up, Himari, I'm sorry. However, whatever is going on, I know you must be in some danger. If Nezu screws this up, and you end up in even worse danger, he'll have to deal with me." She clenched her fists, "This isn't to worry you, Himari, but if you were ever in danger, I would do whatever I could to save you."

She would save her. That, in of itself, is a fact. It didn't matter who was up against her, she would save Himari no matter what.

"Because that's not only heroes do, that's what friends do. You can't think that just because you need help means you're a burden. That's not true." Yu saw that glimmer of fear in Himari's eyes, but she was doing this job to help people and Himari was no exception for this rule. She would never be. She helps other people. She wasn't a burden. She would never be one.

"I know, but I am relying on other people Yu. Eraserhead is training me. Nezu is helping me, and the Takato agency is helping me in their own way. You don't need to know the details to be able to help me." It was something that Himari remembered that they could do. Machiko didn't know what was going on so it made sense.

Saving her though? Was that even possible for her to be saved if things got worse? She...never really thought of that too. Although she appreciates the help, she still thinks she shouldn't have any involvement at all. This wasn't something that really concerned her, but it didn't seem like she could stop her either.

Himari let out a sigh, sending a small smile at her, "Talking to you about this stuff does help me. I'm…" She swallowed, trying to stop apologizing for once in her life, "I mean, thank you though. I'm glad to have you as a friend in my life."

Yu sighed, "Well, whatever is going on, it seems to be going well so far. It's good you're getting training from Eraserhead of all people. He's an incredible fighter from what I've heard. Doesn't like the spotlight though." She scratched her cheek.

"He's really skilled. I'm not surprised he hates the media though. They fralic over to us like we're some kind of fish ready to be caught." Himari remembered how the media had always been trying to talk with her constantly ever since she first came to Yuuei, "They're way too demanding, and I don't like the attention being put on me, but I knew what I was getting into when I first came to Yuuei."

She glanced at the time at the clock, realizing it had been nearly forty five minutes since she walked into the hospital. She really should get going. She had to go with Eraserhead and All Might to meet with the parents tomorrow and go in to see Principal Nezu.

"Well, I've been here for a bit," Himari rose out of her seat, grabbing her bag, "but I think I should head back now. Got a real long day tomorrow. When are you getting out? We can hang out when you're fully recovered, but not until then."

"A couple more days probably. I wasn't nearly as injured as Jeanist and Takato were but I have to take it easy when I get home." Yu heavily sighed, laying back in the hospital bed, "I really hate sitting around."

Himari chuckled, "Well, I think you need a break sometimes, especially after what just happened." She held up her phone, pointing her finger to the screen, "I'll have to make sure you're properly recovering at home then. You can't strain yourself before you go back into hero work. You might make things worse on yourself."

"Thanks Himari, I really appreciate it. We can figure out hanging out when I get out of the hospital. That sound good?" Yu smiled, sitting back up in the bed.

"Of course, take your time. Don't strain yourself. Your recovery is important." Himari clenched her phone tightly, giving a smile, "I'll be here, just text me when you're ready." She moved towards the door, "I'll be busy, but I promise I'll respond properly like I normally do." She shot a thumbs up, "I'll see you in a bit, Yu."

XXXX

"I hope I'm not too late."

The next day came swinging in as Himari was running towards Principal Nezu's office. She really shouldn't of spent so much time reading last night. She got way too caught up in her book. Plus she had to make herself look nice today. They were supposed to be meeting the parents today. She had to look nice.

"You're awfully in a hurry this morning, Young Tsuki." A familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

Turning over to the source of the voice was All Might, but not the All Might she was so used to seeing the halls. This was his true, skelton form.

His arm was in a sling and bandages up as well as his forehead.

Seeing All Might like that almost killed her mood instantly. Himari remembered he retired recently after not being able to use his quirk anymore. The guilt was in her head once again. It reminded her of how she wasn't able to save Bakugou that night.

"Ah, yeah." She scratched the back of her head. Her free arm, held up her index finger, rolling it back and forth in a circle, "I thought I was running late."

"Nah, not too bad at all. I know your record as of recently is to be really early so I guess it's late for you." All Might pointed his index finger up in the air, "but we're still pretty early. There's no need to be in a hurry. We still got a few minutes or so before everyone shows up and we're not too far." He jabbed a finger to where Nezu's office was down the hall.

"Whoops," Himari blushed in embarrassment, rubbing her head nervously. She was so nervous. Goodness, it was just to talk with the parents is all, "My bad, are you holding up okay, All Might? You really did a lot in that fight back there." She was kind of worried about him, after all considering what had happened.

"I'm a little in pain, but I assure you I'm fine." All Might gave a sympathetic smile to the woman, "I might not be able to use my quirk anymore, but it was worth it to give it my all to protect you all. What about you? You went through quite a lot in the summer camp if I remember correctly."

"Ah," Himari frowned, "Well, I certainly wish I could've done more. I could've saved Bakugou right there, but there had been far too many League members to get him. I wasn't strong enough, but I think I'm doing a lot better now. I went to visit Yuu and Takato in the hospital earlier yesterday."

"You know Takato?" All Might hadn't personally seen her in person until the mission but he had heard about her. How such a young woman was able to make up a powerful agency made for recovery and protection. Doing works in the underground and protecting those that have powerful quirks and help them become heroes. He's seen her with Yuu on occasions. Just never with Takato.

"Yeah, she's a old childhood friend. Principal Nedzu gave me some information on her when I met with him after the summer camp incident." Whoa, that was crazy that even All Might knew about her of all people though, "She's doing alright if you wanna know." She smiled, "It was really nice to see her after all these years. She gave me a heart attack on the news with what happened to her in Kamino. I worry about her like a little sister would worry about her oldest."

"I'm glad to hear she's alright." All Might nodded at her words, smiling at her, "I'm glad you're okay as well. It's not easy to go through something like that. I apologize that your first couple of months at Yuuei have been so hectic."

"Oh no, it's fine. I'm glad I've been able to make it out in one piece." Himari let out a heavy sigh, "Things are getting better. Aizawa has been training me recently. I've been making a bit of progress but not too much. I'm grateful for the little progress that I can make though."

"I'm glad to hear that as well." All Might nodded, "Progress will come and you'll see it with time. You just gotta keep working hard."

"Thank you," Himari nodded, bowing in respect, "it means so much coming from you." She was happy he was giving her comforting words over this. It made her feel more confident about the future.

All Might looked over at the time, gesturing her to follow him, "We should go in now." He wanted to commentated that she was absolutely free to talk to him about anything if she needed it. However, that can wait. He knows she's been tense lately. He didn't know about what, but he wouldn't prye. She had to be ready to talk to do so.

Opening the door, they noticed that Aizawa, Vlad King, and Nezu already in the room. Nezu sat at his desk while Aizawa and Vlad King were standing across from him.

Nezu looked over to see Himari and All Might at the doorway, "Welcome, I'm glad you two could make it. Please, come in." He gestures for them to come forward.

All Might and Himari did so, walking over as Nezu continued to speak, looking at All Might, "We are very grateful to you, All Might. As a teacher, principal, and a civilian, I cannot thank you enough for what you've done. You have put yourself through a lot, even sacrificing your body in order to protect us." He took a sip of his coffee, savoring the mix of coffee, cream, and sugar entering his mouth before resting the cup on the desk, "Of course, some people believe that our troubles started when you began teaching here at Yuuei. They are worried now that you can't fight that the children would be put at more risk considering you can't protect them anymore."

Himari took a glance at All Might who looked grim. She could tell that look. She knew it all so well. It was how she looked lately. That look of feeling helpless. She realized she was probably in a better position than All Might because at least she could be able to train. All Might on the other hand, there was no way in the state of his body being the way that it was that he would be able to use his quirk again.

She almost felt bad that she was complaining about the situation currently. She could make All Might feel worse if she ever told him what kind of danger she was currently in.

Nezu continued to go on, "I realized during that battle how much pressure and faith we had put onto you and how much of a burden that was. Unfortunately, we are not clear of their threat. Which is why we need to go through this new plan I have in mind." He slid a paper, showing that it was consent forms that were for the parents, "Vlad and I will go see Class B's parents and the three of you will tend to Class A. I trust you all to handle the situation."

XXXX

After boarding the car to meet up with all of the students' parents of Class 1A, it was quiet in the car. Himari had to remember this was the first time since the summer camp that they had been together in one room. It wasn't like she wanted to make things awkward but considering Aizawa not knowing what entirely happened to her and her new restrictions…

Needless to say, she was kind of scared of him finding out the truth. She didn't want to let go of all this training she was trying to get. She didn't want him to think she was betraying anyone. That wasn't the case. She would never hurt Yuuei intentionally.

Of course, there was always the parents to meet as well. She understand not everything was her fault but…

She needed to stop this. She was always doing this. She wanted to look ahead. She did her best, and she was getting better at fighting. She promised to look forward so she will have keep doing that.

It's not been that long. Perhaps with time, she will get more confident.

"Himari," Came the grumbling voice of Aizawa to the right of her, "You've been tense. Is something wrong?"

"I was about to address that myself." All Might nodded, looking over at Himari. It was really awkward that he was so tall he had to lean over to prevent himself from hitting his heat on the ceiling of the car, "Don't worry, you don't have to talk about it now if you're not ready. I've been just noticing you've been tense ever since we got into the car."

"Ah, yeah. The parents are so nerve wracking to meet. It's always gotten me nervous." It was the truth after all. She has met a lot of parents that weren't really the nicest especially if she was giving help for their children. She didn't forget her encounter with Endeavor.

Aizawa should've known that had been the case. However, Himari had been in this field for a while according to Principal Nezu said about her when he requested some background information on her before she started at Yuuei. He had to make sure his students were secure after all.

Then why was she so nervous? He knew she was watching over Bakugou, Midoriya, and Todoroki. He knew his mother might be a handful, considering Bakugou's temper. However, he realized why she might be nervous…

Because of Endeavor. He realizes that he and Todoroki didn't have the best relationship. He's always been a bit iffy with Endeavor as a whole. He's never been a team player, but then again, Aizawa wasn't much one himself. However, there was a difference in his and Endeavor's reasonings. Aizawa just prefered to work alone. Endeavor seemed to despise any form of help no matter what.

Not much attitude for the new number one hero. He expected him to not be in the best mood after what happened.

Which means he might be a pain. Thinking about it, Himari and him both might need help visiting the Todoroki family. She had been much, much more patient than he was.

They first visited Jirou's house and it had been her first time getting formally introduced to her. She was nice. Her family was pretty loud but she had dealt with worse. She could tell that her family was really supportive, kind, caring. They were motivating Jirou to be a hero, and in a way, seeing that first family motivated her to be a hero.

All Might, Aizawa, and herself were in the car once again, heading to the next house.

"That went easier than I expected." Aizawa stated with a small sigh, "Although, it might be a little rough with the next house." He glanced over at All Might, "Let me get you a drink. You might need it."

All Might chuckled, "That isn't like you at all. I'll pass."

Himari couldn't help but smile at the offer Aizawa gave to All Might. He might be a bit harsh but All Might and her both knew that Aizawa had a heart in him, especially with accepting to help Himari with sparring, and being so dedicated to his students.

She wanted to be like both of them, she must admit. Seeing how they impact so many people, help so many people, do so much for them…

That's the kind of hero she wants to be. Like them, being around them and the kids always made her feel better. They made things a lot easier, lighter for her than she realized.

XXXX

"Hell yeah, get this kid into a dorm."

The loud smack upside of the head made Himari winced, making her flinch in her seat as she watched Bakugou's calm expression break.

"DON'T HIT ME, YOU OLD HAG!" Bakugou hollered at her raising his fist at his mother, "I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!"

Mitsuki slapped him upside the head once again, "SHUT UP! IF YOU HADN'T BEEN SO DAMN WEAK AND CAUGHT, YOU WOULDN'T OF CAUSE THAT DRAMA."

Whoa, that was really harsh. Himari was inwardly shocked at those words. Who says that to their kid after he just went through a traumatic situation?

What was with this family? She had to keep her reactions down because they needed to be formal but, wow, that was not what she expected. She never heard anyone say it like that before. Even in being in the mental health field for a couple of years, that was never something she heard before.

She was about to ask if everything was alright, but Matsaru's shaking voice stopped her from doing that.

"Hey-Hey, calm down, you two." Masaru was shaking, uneasy about what might happen if they have an argument in front of all of them. That wouldn't be great first impressions for these two. He could feel that they might judge them.

"SHUT UP DAD! KEEP YOUR DUMBASS MOUTH CLOSED!" Katsuki yelled before getting hit yet again by his mother, "HEY!"

All Might looked tense. Geez, he didn't expect her to do that, "Oh ma'am, I uh…"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO SHUT UP, KATSUKI!" Mitsuki retorted, taking a glance from him to All Might, "If you're going to say something, please speak up, dear."

All Might remained a little too nervous to respond. However, Aizawa cleared his throat knowing All Might had been freaked out at what he just saw, "I apologize, but is it really okay?"

Mitsuki quickly regain her composure, smiling at them, "You mean the dorm? You kiddin? I should be thanking you." She lets out a sigh, "Katsuki always did things without trying. He had all that talent and flashy quirk. He was always getting attention and praised for the littlest things. That's why I liked what you said at the conference about him. It made me happy to see I could look out for you guys." Her attention immediately turn over to Himari, "And you, you must be the one foreseeing Katsuki's counseling."

Himari flinched, taken aback at her words for a moment before nodding, "H-How did you know?" she wondered.

"He said some weird pink haired girl who fidgets a lot was counseling him. Says she was too calm and nice for his liking. He wasn't nice about it at first." Mitsuki admitted. If she was so calm around what just happened, so down to earth, she had to be the perfect counselor for Katsuki. True, someone didn't need to spoil him like he had been during his school years before Yuuei, but if he was getting counseling, she much prefer it to be someone who was the opposite of his personality, "But I told him he needed to take after his father more."

Himari took a glance at Masaru for a moment who looked completely composed now, blinking.

"He's always been the opposite of me." Mitsuki crossed her arms across her chest, "It's the reason why I've been attracted to him."

Himari chuckled warmly at her words, "Ah, that's wonderful." She clapped her hands together.

"In all honesty, the way you handled our exchange is exactly the reason why I am proud that Katsuki has a counselor like you. You seem to have a level head and that's what Katsuki needs." Mitsuki was happy she met her in person. She wasn't too worry about Katsuki's counselor at first upon hearing Katsuki's thoughts on her. Now, she was convinced she had to be Katsuki's counselor. She was as down to earth as her husband was.

"Hey old hag, don't be giving her any ideas now!" Katsuki yelled, but his yelling wasn't nearly as loud this time. In fact, he was only raising his voice slightly this time around. He glanced over at Himari as his head was shoved down, but his eyes still looked at her, "And don't be trying to suggest anything."

Himari smiled, giggling at Bakugou's words, "Ah, thank you, I certainly try my hardest to do well for the students." She was getting so embarrassed. It was really nice to hear that.

Mitsuki immediately put his head down, "Regardless, I appreciate you doing what you've done. Yuuei has proven to be able to take care of my son despite what he had just went through. Many people will probably disagree with us, but I still think we can trust you." Mitsuki and Masuru both followed in bowing in respect.

"He can be a helpless and rough, but please work hard and make him a decent hero for us." Mitsuki pleaded.

Himari couldn't help but smile at Toshinori's uneasiness that quickly ripped into relief. She could've sworn she heard him mutter something but it was inaudible even from sitting next to him.

They were getting ready to go to the next house before Himari heard All Might say to Aizawa, "I owe you a drink." chirply.

She couldn't help but chuckle in response to his words, "Ahahaha, you were pretty nervous All Might-san."

"How'd you two not tense up like that is beyond me." All Might smiled, "But I'm grateful you two went along with me and I didn't have to deal with that all by myself. I'm not too used to handling those kinds of situations."

"It could've been worse." Himari couldn't help but remember the times she worked in the mental health field, cringing internally in remembrance, "I've had clients and their family react way worse."

All Might almost deadpanned at her words. Seriously? The girl has a patience of a saint. No wonder she was such a powerful asset in the mental health field. True, Japan's mental health field wasn't the best, but it was a bit brighter with people like her, "Well, then I can see why Principal Nezu choose you then. You have the patience of a saint, young Himari."

Himari chuckled, rubbing the back of her head, "Ah? Well, I've always been told my patience is one of my strongest suits." It was the truth. It was one of the things she was prideful in. It was actually very rare for her to get angry.

"Hey All Might."

The three staff members of Yuuei turned to see Bakugou standing there as All Might approached him, "Just what is Deku to you?"

What Deku was to All Might? Himari tilted her head to the side, confused. What gave Bakugou to ask that question?

"He's my student." All Might responded, "He's an aspiring hero with a lot of potential. Just like you are."

"If you don't wanna tell me, that's fine." Bakugou grumbled, turning away from him to walk back, hearing his mom telling him to come back inside.

They got back into the car and decided to drive All Might over to Midoriya's house so they could do their run a bit faster. It was getting close to dinner after all.

When All Might left, it left Aizawa and Himari left to do the runs until they came back to pick him up.

"It looks like I might need your help for the next one." Aizawa pulled out his phone, showing where they were going to next and who it was, "He's not going to be in the best of moods. I might end up losing it.

Himari stared at the next destination, realizing it was the Todoroki house, frowning, "Oh."

"Endeavor just got the number one hero spot. If he lets out one word and says yes, that'll be our best option, but if he gets defensive…" He had no doubt Himari had to have dealt with him once.

"Then you want me to handle it as best as I can." Himari had to admit, Endeavor intimidated her, but she had dealt with people like him before. This would be nothing. She had already faced him down once. She could do it again, "I can do that no problem." She smiled, "After all, I think it'll help Shoto a lot to leave there."

Aizawa agreed with her there. Whatever Endeavor was doing, whatever he had been doing to Shoto, he couldn't help but feel something he didn't like and if he got a glimpse, he wouldn't be able to restrain himself. It was better that Himari was there to help him, especially with this one.

It was better to not have All Might there. It might escalate things.

XXXX

"Oh? You're Shouto's teachers."

Fuyumi, Todoroki's older sister opened the door to the Todoroki household, motioning them both to come in, shutting the door behind them once they got in.

"It's really good to meet the both of you, uh…" Fuyumi didn't remember their names.

"I'm your brothers' homeroom teacher Aizawa Shota." He introduces himself with a bow.

Himari bowed as well, "And I'm your brother's counselor, Tsuki Himari. I haven't heard much about you. Shouto doesn't talk too much about his siblings" She rarely ever heard anything about them though.

"Ah?" Oh, she was getting embarrassed, "Y-Yeah, I was kind of grateful when he got back into contact with mom." She fidgeted, "Anyways, you're probably here to see my father. He's...going to be in a bit of a bad mood so I apologize." He motions them over to follow her. He wasn't nearly as bad as he used to be. He wasn't taking his anger out on any of them.

"Shouto!" Fuyumi called, "Mister Aizawa and Miss Tsuki are here to discuss the dorms."

"Coming!" Shouto shouted from upstairs, running over quickly to see Aizawa and Himari standing there, "Miss Tsuki, Mister Aizawa." He bowed slightly to them while Himari gave a small wave.

"Well, I better get dad." Fuyumi was about to turn to go get him but Shouto stopped her, raising a hand up.

"No he actually put this under my room this morning." Shouto handed the letter, "He wanted to let you know it was fine. You both, really shouldn't talk with him anyways right now. He's beyond mad."

Himari looked at the letter they got in the mail with Endeavor's signature on it before looking up at Shouto, looking concerned, "Is everything alright? Are you okay?"

"You don't have to worry." Shouto reassured her, giving her a small smile, "Nothing has happened. He's just upset he got the number one hero in this way."

Aizawa sighed, crossing his arms across his chest, "I figured as much. Thank you, Todoroki." This was way easier than expected. He didn't even need to try for this one. He motioned Himari to follow him, "Let's get going."

Himari nodded, "Right."

They kept visiting various parents, going around and around to get approval. Some of them were easy while others were a little difficult, but Himari and Aizawa got them to agree.

"I think I owe you a drink now too." Aizawa rubbed the back of his neck. Now they were driving back to the Midoriya household.

Himari laughed, "There's absolutely no need, Aizawa. Just think of it as some exchange for helping me train." She clenched a fist, smiling, "Besides, I'm not really a drinker."

"Speaking of training, I actually got you a better lead on a upgrade on your weapons. It's much different, but Hatsume was pretty excited when I asked her to build you a weapon." Aizawa stated.

"Really? Oh you didn't need to…" Himari began but Aizawa cut him off.

"Don't worry, it's the least I can do. If you want to get better at fighting, you'd need better weapons choice. Those brass knuckles will only get you so far." If she wanted to improve as much as she did, she needed this, "Your weapon should be done by the time the students adjust to their dorms." He knew that Hatsume had probably been working on it already. The girl was a workaholic from what he had heard.

Himari nodded, knowing fully well he had a point. She's never had to have a better weapon until now. She never really needed one. She only got the brass knuckles in order to defend herself. She was kind of excited to get through some of her training.

"Oh by the way, when the students have to practice to find their own signature attacks, I want you to be a part of it." Aizawa wasn't going to hide it. They had a few days to prepare, after all, "We have a few days to prepare so you'll be at least able to figure out the basic points of the weapon. Hatsume will be better to talk to with what it does."

Himari nodded at his words, "Yeah, I got it." She was ready, more than ready this time around to battle for her happy ending.

She can look at the future a bit brighter now. She could do this.

 **Well I hope you liked this update. As stated before, I'll try to update when I can, but I'm really busy for the next couple of months so I'll see what I can do. With this said, feel free to review to tell me your thoughts and please fav/follow if you like. Thank you guys for bearing with me during this busy time!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the lateness, but this chapter is pretty lengthy! My life is a little more together now that I'm done with school for the summer, moved, and overcome writer's block! Anywho, TW: for drugs, abuse, alcohol, and suicide in this chapter.**

 **Anywho BNHA doesn't belong to me. I only own my OCs!**

"Aiden, are you serious?"

A couple of days had passed and Machiko had been back in her own apartment in Japan. She was sitting in her chair, looking out the window. The mug of coffee, sitting on the glass nightstand. A coughing fit escaped Machiko's lips, "Damn, sorry, but can you buy that by me again?"

"Listen, I told you I had no idea why there was so much of a need for Principal Nezu to form a bodyguard on one of Yuuei's teachers, but I figured you should know who I was bodyguarding." Aiden's voice sighed heavily at her suggestion, "You heard me right, Takato-san. It's your old friend."

Machiko didn't understand. Why Himari? Why her of all people? What was _going on?_ What was even happening?

"Did Nezu tell you why?" Machiko's voice was darker now, clenching her free fist tightly. Or was he hiding stuff from Aiden too?

"No, he didn't, he just said with recent events, he wanted me to keep tabs on her." Aiden responded, groaning, "I got a feeling though he's not telling us everything. The report was too vague. When I tried to ask him more about it, he wouldn't tell. He just said that was simple as he could explain it. He told me he had nothing to hide from such a high stakes situation."

Machiko bit her lip, trying to keep herself a bit more composed. She was frustrated, that there wasn't other details. Most of all, with her infiltrating the Eight Precepts of Death soon…

She felt helpless, but she didn't know why the League would be wanting to contact her. Were there records of it? Was Himari not telling her everything when she reunited with her? Was Aiden throwing himself into something he didn't even know?

Damn, she couldn't risk losing him. Although, if anyone was supposed to be watching Himari, she would be satisfied with him. It was something she could allow for now, but if Aiden ended up dead, and Himari ended up in a bad situation, she was going to get very mad at Nezu.

Why didn't he just tell her there was something going on? She understood they were pretty occupied but this…

She could have her people in there, helping Aiden if needed. Why was Nezu being so damn secretive?

"Are you there Takato-san?"

Aiden's voice made Machiko jump, letting out a heavy sigh, "Yes, I am. Sorry, I find myself agreeing with you." She took a sip of her coffee, setting in down on the nightstand, "He's not telling us much. However, you are a part of this, so please, keep in touch with me." She wanted to make sure he kept in communication. God only knows what he might stumble upon.

Aiden chuckled, "Don't worry about it; you know I won't take any unnecessary risks." He didn't want to worry her too much, "Besides, you gotta see you know who in a little more than a week right? You gotta be cautious around him. You might be smart, but he is too. There's a reason why his squad has been able to sneak away so many times."

"That's why I need to take the mission alone. I don't think my fellow commanders other than you can stomach what I could see while I'm there." Machiko stated, "I won't risk anyone's safety who's not fully prepared to see what's in the underground."

She's been down there a few times, undercover, working on investigating a variety of groups. From gangs, to smugglers, to traffickers, to illegal trade dealers. She was heading down there again after recovery. A sigh escaped her lips, "I promise you though I won't get into too much trouble down there. I know what I am up against, after all."

"I trust you," Aiden admitted, "but I don't trust them." He trust Machiko's instincts but one mess up could risk her life in the long run, "You be careful if I don't talk to you before you leave. I gotta make sure to limit my calls to when I'm only home. Just in case the League puts someone on me."

Machiko heavily sighed, "Worry about yourself for once." It was always in him to worry about her, especially after she got him back on his feet.

"Can't, I'm eternally grateful to you Takato-san. You helped me get my life back together." Aiden chuckled warmly at her snappy retort. It always seemed to happen. Takato was a hero who thought of herself last despite her cold demeanor, "Don't worry, I'm grateful to protect your pretty friend."

Machiko couldn't help but roll her eyes playfully, "Don't get too into her now. She's like my little sister."

"Are you kidding? She's pretty but she's not you." Aiden laughed wholeheartedly.

Machiko couldn't help the smile twitching from her lips, "Glad you find me so appealing, Aiden. Now, I'll let you go. See you soon."

Machiko hung up the phone, letting out a heavy exhale. She leaned back into her seat. The next few days were supposed to be spent with her relaxing and saving her energy. True, Aiden was the one guarding Himari, and she was extremely grateful for him. However, something about this didn't feel right.

She at least knew that she felt a bit better that Aiden didn't keep it in the dark from her. She can respect that. She can also breathe a little better that Aiden is the one that's taking care of Himari. She still couldn't help but worry though. There was more that Nezu wasn't telling them. What the hell was Aiden fighting? Who could he fight? The League? The hell did they want from her? What was going on?

Her work phone suddenly buzzed, snapping her out of her long thoughts. She looked at the caller ID, noticing it was Shigeru. Opening the phone, she cleared her throat, "Hello?"

"It's good to hear from you. Thought you might've bitten the dust, Isamu" Shigeru couldn't help but chuckle.

Machiko couldn't help but chuckle in response to his words, "You worrying about your clients? That's hardly like you."

"Don't be serious, I told you, I like to take my job as a broker seriously. It means I gotta play nice guy sometime." Shigeru retorted, "So, how's it going, miss? Hope life hasn't been too hard on ya."

"Oh, I got mixed up in a fight a couple of days before Kamino happened. Busted myself pretty bad." Machiko rubbed her ribs in pain, "I'm healing pretty well though, shouldn't be a problem for me to do the weapons exchange with Overhaul in a few days from now."

"Excellent, good to hear. Glad to see business is running smoothly despite the incident. Good old Overhaul should be around to call you to confirm. That bird hasn't been on my case lately. He's a good customer in the underground, I must admit." Shigeru told her, chuckling, "He's a sly guy, but like I said, you got nothing to worry about. That man has the big guns."

"Not worried." Machiko dugged at the erosion in her nails, "boss spoke highly of him." She would have to 'betray' her group in order to get closer to the Eight Precepts but that shouldn't be a problem. She already hinted to Overhaul she wanted to get out of their group as her alias. As long as she continues the way she does, everything will be okay.

"Good, I'll look forward to hearing how the switch went. I'll have to cut you here." Shigeru told her before she heard the phone hung up.

Machiko let out a heavy sigh. She wouldn't be lying if she said she was a tad bit afraid of what might happen. This was the underground, after all. Despite being down there so many times already in disguise, she knew how just horrible that place is. It even takes its toll on her. Which is why that she has to do this alone. She wasn't sure the others could handle this, could see what she's seen multiple times.

The next couple of days would be for rest and rest alone. She had to be at a hundred percent when she goes on this mission.

XXXX

A few days had passed, and Himari was finally heading back to the school. The students had been moving into the dorms. While the students have been moving in, she was still taking on Aizawa's training. It had been harder and harder, but she wasn't aching as much. She was actually enjoying it honestly. Despite combat being an action she generally despised, she still really enjoyed training. Aizawa was an amazing teacher. He might not validate himself much, but she thought he was really good. Strict, but it was really needed especially in the field they were in.

Despite his stern nature, she could tell he had least had somewhat of a soft spot for the kids. Aizawa didn't seem like the kind of person that wouldn't bother with things he didn't care about at least. He had to care about his job.

Himari quickly pulled out the piece of paper where Aizawa had written the note on the room she was supposed to meet Hatsume at. She sighed. She felt excited for once. Never thought she would be excited to have a weapon at her disposal. She's never been a violent person per say. However, the adrenaline of getting better and coping with her situation felt nice.

The sudden view of Aiden came into her view, giving her a wave, "Hey, I didn't expect you to be out here. Classes haven't started back up yet." He shot a bright smile at her.

"Huh? What are you doing here, Aiden?" She wondered, walking over to him.

"Ah, you know, some business with Principal Nezu." He put his arms behind his head, "Nothing unusual. The Takato agency does do some business here. Just checking up to speed considering some kids we've taken in attend this school. However, they're all second and third years now." It wasn't entirely wrong. They did have some students here.

She did know there was someone watching her but revealing his identity wasn't the best of ideas either. If he blew his cover, that could end pretty bad. She didn't need to know who. She was in good hands under his surveillance after all.

"Oh? You guys are so diverse." Himari gave a small smile to brunette, "It's good to give them help. Especially after everything they've been through."

"The Provisional License Exam is coming up so I gotta make sure everything is in line for them to participate. Some of the students weren't able to take it last year. While others volunteered to help." Aiden rubbed the back of his head, "Really wish Nezu wasn't so long winded though. It hadn't been even a month since I last saw him, and he still talked my head off. Hope you don't have to deal with that on a weekly basis."

Himari chuckled, "Yeah, well, we all had to get accustomed to All Might, and I'd say he's more chatty than Principal Nezu is."

"Least All Might is kind of fun. Nezu will put you to sleep with how long winded he is. All Might will just drag you into some fun." Aiden shrugged, "So, what are you doing here? The students are moving into the dorms currently and there's still no classes going on for a few days."

"Well, Aizawa gave me a lead on a possible upgrade to my arsenal. Thanks to being the counselor of Yuuei, I can't run around without a little more training." Himari replied with a shrug, "I haven't really needed to upgrade my fighting skills because I haven't needed them, but due to the increase tension lately, I decided I needed to take more initiative. So I've been training with Aizawa."

"Whoa? Earserhead?" Aiden was pretty dumbfounded. Aizawa of all people took her in? Wow, she must be pretty determined and tough if she was taking his training of all things. He's heard about just how harsh he is in training, "You must be pretty tough if you're working with him. He's no pushover."

Himari couldn't help but blush at the compliment, "Ah, yeah. I mean, he's pretty hardcore." She really never thought of herself as tough. She never really thought of herself anything close to that. It was odd getting that kind of a compliment.

Hm? Sounded like she was pretty shy about that. He wondered why Himari has such low self esteem? She's a lot better than that. She got into Yuuei as a counselor, after all.

God, don't make this awkward, Aiden. Just do something. You approached her, after all.

"Ahh anyways, I was wondering, how did you and Machiko meet?" Himari asked curiously, but she didn't want to overstep any boundaries.

Aiden's tense expression to change the subject relaxed when she did. He winked, "Well, she drew me in with her beauty, and her utmost power of being able to kick my ass." He chuckled, stuffing his hands in pockets. Perhaps that was true, "Well, it was a pretty rough start actually. She kind of arrested me."

"Arrested you?" Himari's eyes went wide at that. Well, the Takato agency did help pick people off their feet.

"Yeah, I wasn't one of the best of people back then. I was pretty nuts. I was just trying to survive. My family wasn't really there for me at all when I was a kid. They liked to neglect me and leave me alone. Hell, I spent most of my childhood alone. They would leave me alone in the house even though I was in developmental years. I don't probably need to tell you how harmful that is. Anyways," He sighed, flipping his right hand, "my parents were drug addicts and did anything to get a hold of it and sell it to the black market. They were always pilfering. Soon enough, they were doing a lot of higher up crimes. Kidnapping, murder, you name it, but I had no idea they were doing all that until they were caught. They would," He swallows, reminding himself that he was safe. They couldn't hurt him now. It was a decade since he had been free from their grip. Free from their power.

Although, it haunted him far past that, he was still getting the flashbacks. The screaming he would hear every night, the sound of glass shattering, the smell of alcohol and cigarettes coming through his nostrils. It nearly made him physically gag at the image of such a smell he could smell whenever he was reminded of his parents.

"They would fight every night when they would come home. I would cover myself in another room, shaking in fear. I learned my lesson well when I did end up in their way once. It led me to get this scar." He pointed a finger at the big scar running through his cheek and towards his forehead, just four centimeters short of reaching it, "It was from a broken piece of glass. I was trying to reach the bathroom, but I got caught in the crossfire. My mother was pissed." He covered his scar, "She got mad that I got caught in the crossfire and slapped me across the face. She was definitely under the influence. She just throw a cold white towel and told me to get over it." His hand lowered, noticing that Himari looked sad, "You're probably aware of these kinds of stories because of the fact that you've worked under the mental health field."

That had to only be the reason why she got to know his origin of all things. That, and the fact that she had been so close to Machiko as kids. If she trusted her, so would he, "So I see no reason telling you this. I was lucky that cut didn't kill me. It was infected after a couple of days. I was in school and my teacher found it. She demanded to know what it was about but I would just run off and hide. I gave her a hard time. Because my parents were so absent, I didn't get to go to special clubs and such. However, when my teacher found me, my quirk manifested because I was so angry and then my body went into shock due to the pain and fever I was experiencing. Next thing I knew, I was in a hospital and there was a detective standing at my bedside. They ruled that my injury was a result of neglect, not an accident due to the lack of treatment. The police went after my house to realize it was entirely empty a couple of days later. There was no sign of my parents."

Aiden's body was shaking at the memory. He was terrified at the memory of it. He didn't even have a friend at the age of seven years old. He had dealt with an abusive relationship with monsters that he was supposed to call his bloodline, his family, no less, "I was put in a institution shortly after that focused on kids around my age. There wasn't any actual parents. It was all regulated by the government. It wasn't nice, as I think you're aware. But anyways, I'm getting so long winded, I'll speed things up: I had a horrible upbringing. I was angry and hated the world and eventually started following under my parents' footsteps. I stole to survive since I was homeless when I became an adult and was able to leave the institution. I started getting into drugs, cigarettes, and all that kind of jazz that most family members would kill me for. I never really killed anyone. However, just as Machiko was making the agency, she encountered me when I was smuggling something."

Aiden shrugged his shoulders sinking down against the wall, looking out at the view of the city, "I hadn't been the nicest to her. I was pretty pissed when she found me. She demanded me to take everything back and I attacked her. That led to her eventually arresting me." He sat down against the wall, "Originally, I was gonna serve a few months in jail along with probation. However, Takato came and visited me one night. She tried to talk to me about joining this group instead of rotting in a jail for months where I would eventually go back and smuggle things to survive. I was pretty mad at first because I didn't understand why she was pitying me. I never really had anyone treat me with kindness so it made my body stop and my mind didn't understand it. I decided that I rather not do time in prison so I joined Takato. The sound of being a hero disgusted me at first, but I realized what Takato saw in me. She didn't see me as a criminal. At least, not entirely. She saw me as a confused man who was just trying to get by because no one really cared for me at the time. I remember her telling me if she couldn't help me, what good was she to run an entire agency devoted to helping others." He put his arms behind his head, chuckling, "I'm boring you to death, aren't I?" He sat up, walking over to Himari who hadn't said a single word through telling his story.

"No, no, not at all." Himari put her hands up in defense, "I just didn't want to interrupt you through that entire explanation. It would've been rude to interrupt you, after all." She didn't want to make this about her. After all, she was the one that asked.

Machiko must've converted and helped him first out of everyone she had met. He was the first. If she was betting on her skills that quickly then that meant that he had to be the first one. Imagine if she didn't help him.

"Still, you're pretty strong. It takes a lot to learn kindness and strength after a rough life like that. You have a lot of strength, Aiden-san." Himari gave him a smile, offering a hand to help him up.

He chuckled, "Yeah? I wouldn't call myself that by any means," he reached to grab her hand as she helped him up, "I think you are. Takato used to tell me she would have nightmares that night and how that was her biggest regret, leaving her friends to die in that village. It's no wonder why she wanted to save so many people and build the Takato Agency." He gave her a sympathetic smile, "I think seeing you made her feel a lot happier." She's not getting hotheaded as much. So that had to be the plus side to all of this.

Himari couldn't help but smile, "I hope she does know. You talk about her a lot. You really are devoted to her."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Aiden rested his hands on his hips while Himari laughed softly.

"Well, it sounds like you're in love with her." She pointed out, twirling a strand of her pink hair.

Aiden chuckled, flipping a hand, "What gave you that idea so quickly? Am I that easy to read?" He patted her on the shoulder, "Enough of me, let's get you over to that gear girl so you can get that sweet, sweet weapon."

Himari looked over at him, "You don't have to go if you don't have to, Aiden-san."

"Nonsense, it'll be nice to chill with you a little longer before I head back to the agency." He wanted to get to know Himari a little more too, after all, "You can escort me over there, in fact."

Well, it would be nice to hang with Machiko's right hand man. Himari didn't mind him tagging along, she just didn't want him to be late for anything important if he was busy.

"I wouldn't mind at all." Himari smiled.

 **XXXX**

"Holy shit, what the hell?"

Aiden had his shadows out on the ground, ready to lash out as a small piece of armor crashed on the ground next to him. He gasped as the arm slid against the wall.

"Ah, fuck, I thought that was a mouse!" He yelped, noticing Himari snickering at him. He blinked, changing his expression from pure fear to disbelief, "Hey don't laugh! You haven't seen one of those huge spiders before."

"You thought the arm was a spider?" Himari laughed a little harder, "How could you tell that was a spider?" She couldn't help but giggle, "Aiden-san, you're really odd, you know that?"

"How could I KNOW that thing wasn't a spider. It moved as fast as a bullet." Aiden pointed out before seeing a spark of some screw in the distance, "Uh oh…"

Himari noticed it too, taking a few steps back before the explosion erupted in the room. Aiden, quickly dodged as well, covering his face and preparing to lash out his shadows if need be before he heard a girl coughing, catching his attention.

"Oh? Hatsume!" A gruff voice called, "You can't keep blowing up this place, you know?"

"Oh, but that's the sign for success! Blowing up something allows us to learn."

A girl with pink shoulder length hair was on the ground, face still on the floor as she noticed Aiden and Himari from the other sides.

"That's...really not safe." Himari muttered, feeling like if she kept doing some of these things, she might end up blowing the entire school up. She might end up blowing up the entire school up.

"Hatsume, did you hear me?" The gruff voice of a man groaned.

Mei quickly jumped up from where she was laying on the floor, rushing over to Himari. She jumped at the sudden view of the teen in front of her, "OH pink hair, timid, and definitely short. You must be Himari! Eraserhead told me you'd be here to pick up your new weapon." She didn't hesitate to grab her wrist and drag her into the room where she had just been working on her gadgets.

Aiden dusted himself off, letting out a groan, "Hey, you're not even going to _apologize_ for almost blowing me up and _killing_ me?"

Mei looked over at the brunette standing at the doorway, keeping the grin on her face, "Sorry, who are you exactly?"

Aiden quickly falls over in response to her question. Of course they didn't remember him. It was always about Youto, or Hitomi, or Takato. Out of all the heads, he never got much attention compared to them.

"Oh, um...that's…" Himari was about to answer Mei's question. However, Mei jerked her forward. Nothing painful, but it was enough force that it could move her forward.

"Hmmm...not much muscles, normal length arm for someone at this height." She looked over before grabbing a pink umbrella that had swirls of purple in it along with purple hearts on them, "Hold this." Mei told Himari.

Himari looked confused as she was handed the umbrella. An umbrella? What does this have to do with a weapon? Although it was a little heavier than a usual umbrella.

"Press the button on the handle. It's at the end." Mei commanded her.

Himari did so and the umbrella opened in an instant. Looked like any kind of normal umbrella to her.

"Now, this baby can allow you to block massive, powerful attacks. It protects you from any flashy quirk when you open it. But it can only do it when you open it, got it?" Mei asked her, pointing a finger at Himari who nodded, "Now, close that and use the other switch at the end."

Himari noticed that it was one of those switches you could find on toys. The switch was rough with edges on it. The moment she turned it on after she closed the umbrella, she realized that she could get the handle of the umbrella that showed a fencing type of sword.

The sharp part of it wasn't her forte and she hoped she never had to use that part eventually.

"That allows you to use it as a sword eventually if need be. The umbrella itself can be a powerful offensive weapon. Think of it as a powerful staff. Just much fancier." Mei clapped her hands together, getting closer to Himari's face just before she put the sword part of the umbrella away, "Of course, you can get more upgrades whenever. Just come and see me whenever you like."

"Oh um, thank you so much." Himari backed away from the girl before Aiden sighed, giving a small smile.

"Despite her being kind of disrespectful, I think that weapon is pretty badass." Aiden whispered at Himari who nodded slowly.

Mei was at him in seconds, rushing over to him next, "Can I get anything for you? Some upgrades to your costume? Don't tell me you don't have a weapon. Let me make you one. You'll be so much more powerful."

"Yeah, now you get nice for me." Aiden groaned softly, "You got skills, but if you're wanna max them out, you should totally see if you get a recommendation from the Takato Agency. I'm one of the leaders, and we definitely need more skills like yours."

"No thanks. I already know what I wanna do for my internship eventually, and that's Detnerat." Mei's eyes practically sparkled, "Like have you seen their commercials? I have to totally have to go into a internship with them eventually. Maybe I could meet the CEO? I could get so much access if I interned there."

Deternat? Always stealing their business. They've done one or two business trades with them but nothing big. They never saw the CEO in person either. Always been his lower group members in the corporation that talked with them.

"Oh, Deternat? I've seen their commercials. That sounds great, Hatsume-san. We better get going, but thank you so much for giving me a weapon. I really appreciate it." Himari bows in respect to the pro hero as well, "Don't get her into too much trouble, now." She waved, giving a soft smile.

"You gotta watch for her not me." The pro hero muttered as Himari laughed softly.

"Of course. Hatsume, please don't try to blow up the entire school." And with that, Himari and Aiden walked out.

"Man, ain't she a passionate girl." Aiden rubbed the back of his head, "Reminds me of someone else, but not that over the top."

"You mean Machiko-san?" Himari couldn't help that escape from her lips, giggling.

"Something like that." Aiden shrugged, "Anywho, do you mind if I tag along with you home?" It'll make things way easier if he's not spying on her nearly as long.

"Oh, sure, I don't mind the company." Himari nodded, keeping a grip on the umbrella. He was tagging along with her a lot and she doesn't know if she liked that much. It's not like she didn't dislike him. She was just worried he might get mixed up in the situation she was in and she didn't want to do that to him.

"Is there something the matter?" Aiden's eyebrows rose, noticing she got slightly tense there, "If you don't need me around…"

"No, Aiden, it's fine, I'm just pretty exhausted from the day today." She yawned. That part was pretty true. They've hung out quite a bit today. Besides, it was just a slight worry. Nezu did have that spy on her, she just didn't know who exactly it was. She get it was for protection reasons why she didn't know, but, she was still a bit worried is all.

Ugh, it was normal to be worried. It's nothing to be worried about.

"Ah yeah, you seemed a little sad about the sword part. Takato told me you're not really a violent person. There has to be a reason why you got that weapon." He knows, he knows why. So he doesn't know why he intends on trying to pressure her with a question as they walked down the stairs of Yuuei.

"Well, I did tell you before I was trying to get better with everything going on. When I was at the Summer Camp, I didn't really do anything. I was so close to saving Bakugou but I couldn't stop it. Besides, I can't just not do anything after what happened in that incident." Himari couldn't help but bring that part up. It was the truth after all.

"I don't think anyone could've not done anything after seeing that. It's harder when you're a staff member because you feel like you're obligated to protect those kids, not see them be put in horrendus situations like that one." Aiden knew if he had been in Himari's situation, he would've done what it took to save the kid no matter what, "I can't tell you not to worry because that part is pretty important. It shows that you care about those kids no matter what. You have a connection to them. That's super important to worry, because you care, because you want them to be safe. Even though they're all training to be heroes, you still feel obligated to protect them because they are training. I think that's a super good emotion to feel. Just focus on the here and now and fight for what you believe in."

Was it gonna hurt her? If she sees him defending her? It's the least he could do. He was mad that Nezu wasn't telling them everything, but whatever that thing was he didn't know how to ask it without her getting suspicious. After all, it wasn't like he was wanting to know if it would just hurt her. He didn't wanna do that. Whatever she was dealing with, he didn't want to make the scars even worse. He had to shut down his curiosity. The League has had some run ins with her after all. Because of her quirk, it would make sense.

"Yeah, I'm trying, Aiden." Himari gave him a small smile, walking off the stairs of Yuuei with him, "I'm just glad everything turned out well in Kamino. Aside from All Might-san retiring." Then again, who couldn't see All Might going down like that? He was invisible to a lot of people, but everyone had their own weaknesses, their own time to stop. He wasn't immortal, not even in the slightest.

"Yeah, I was there." Aiden confessed, making Himari gasped, "Sorry, maybe I said too much, but I was trying to help the others save Bakugou. If Yuuei has helped some of the people that live in the agency, I had to pay it back as best as I can." He clenches a fist, "I didn't expect to see the man that I've heard so much chatter about."

"You're…" Himari swallowed, remembering the TV image of the man Aiden was referring to, "You're talking about All For One, right?"

"Yeah, I didn't expect him of all people to show up. Most people believed he was just a myth, but after what I saw, after what I _felt,_ there's no way I could've not thought the guy wasn't real after it." Aiden admitted, remembering what Machiko said to him. He remembered some of the things Machiko said she saw in her dreams. The flashbacks of that night.

"I hadn't felt that useless in a long time, I must admit." Aiden stopped near the end of the sidewalk next to the poll, staring across from where the light was issuing when to walk, "You see a lot in the underground." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, "but that, I wasn't prepared for something like that."

"Yeah, I never thought that there would be a dude higher than that hand guy running around." With that much power. Was there a connection between All for One and Tenko? What kind of history did they have anyways? What happened after the incident? She remembered Tenko's words about the heroes not coming to help him. Oh how she felt bad then, but she had to accept there was nothing she could do. She was only a child.

Bringing up All for One made her wish she could just ask him what was going on. She wanted to ask him what was his and Tenko's connection. He was in prison of all things. He couldn't do anything bad in Tartarus of all places.

"We did, but we had some info slip on us when we were going out to rescue Bakugou." Aiden admitted. He really shouldn't be telling her any of this but he trusts her. He trusts that she could listen to all of this, "I'm just grateful that bastard's in prison. Hope he never gets out of there for the rest of his life. I don't wanna have to attempt to fight that guy a second time. I don't want anyone else dealing with the fear of death as much as all of us did."

With this, they were already near Himari's apartment, walking ahead.

"I don't mean to burden you with this information, I must admit, I'm babbling. I guess I'm tired too." Aiden chuckled, rubbing his temple, "Either way, I'm glad you're continuing forward. Not many people could do that in your position. Most would wanted to quit."

"I mean, I wanted to." Himari said this low, barely audible. She let out a sigh, noticing that Aiden had heard her, "People that have pretty useful quirks are usually taught at a very young age that they might end up in the hands of the underground. My grandparents banged that into my head the moment my quirk appeared when I was young. If I didn't get it controlled, I was gonna hurt more people, and I didn't want that." They were in the sight of her apartment, but Himari wanted to talk to him more about this, "I learned not to hate my quirk because of the fact that someone showed me I could do more with it and that I wasn't some kind of a monster. Machiko was one of them, but there was another boy that did too. He was shy, timid, didn't really say anything to too many people other than myself and Machiko from time to time. He most conversed with me. He saw that quirk and didn't instantly hate me. Just like Machiko did." She stops at the apartment she was now staring at, "I found out he changed recently, and that kind of destroyed me. I thought he was dead for years, Aiden. I kept that guilt in my body for a long time. Then, when I come here, I saw him and he was a whole different person." She couldn't blame Tenko for being like this though. He thought everyone abandoned him, including her. She would've never left him to die intentionally.

"A lot of people learn that, and it's sad that people look down on others despite quirks being popular. There's some quirkless people we've taken in too and they get pushed around too." Aiden hated that. They were human like they were too, but he was always there if they needed. He didn't want them to die.

"Being popular shouldn't be a reason why people shouldn't look down upon others Aiden." Himari sighed, "No one should be looked down for the smallest of things like not having a quirk or having one that might just cause a lot of pain to others."

"No, I agree." Aiden nodded in agreement, "I've seen what those quirks done. I've lost people to the underground, Himari. It what makes me want to continue to fight even further." He turned his back to her, "Our goals aren't really far off. We wanna help people but in our own way." He turned back to her, feeling his phone going off, "We can talk more later." He looked down at his pocket, seeing that it was Machiko, "I gotta get going. Boss lady needs me."

"Right." Himari nodded firmly, "Be careful."

He smiled, "No worries, you should really worry about yourself though. Get back to that training." He grins before walking away until he was gone.

Himari knew fully well that All for One was in prison and that he had no way of getting out of there. If he had a connection with Tenko, then she had to figure out a way to get in there to talk to him. It was a scary thought, but she could do it. She wouldn't be at risk, right? Right?

She lets out a sigh, walking up to the apartment and unlocking the door before going inside

At the top of the roof, there was a shady man standing there, hiding away from their very eyes. He had heard some of their conversation. His face was covered by a plague doctor mask. He hadn't seen anyone come over to Himari's house at all since tailing her. Not sense before the battle with All for One and All Might.

He had his suspicion about someone else tailing her. Felt as if there was a presence. He reported to Overhaul about it two days ago, but couldn't figure out who it was. Overhaul wanted him to find out if he could deal with it under the radar first before taking higher action. They needed the woman they've been tracking alive, after all.

He did some quick researching, wondering who that was. After a Google search result, he found him. Aidan was his name. Last name was unknown. He was a pro hero in the Takato agency, third in command. His quirk was His quirk is Shadow Dance. He can command shadows so long that he is around any forms of light.

This had to be no concidence. Why else would him of all people be around Himari?

He needed to call Overhaul about this.

He pulled out his phone, dialing it, "Overhaul? It's Chrono. Looks like we finally figured out who's been tailing our future recruit. I'll be waiting further orders on to handle him."

"Kill him. We don't need to tip off the heroes yet, but make sure you do it where no one is around." Overhaul's voice was chilling, dead of emotion. If this boy was going to shatter his chances of recruiting the emotion woman that has connections to Shigaraki Tomura, then he would just have to kill him before Himari became far too aware of the situation. He didn't need to spill the person's blood he's been keeping a keen eye on for a while. There was a reason for this, after all.

"Understood, sir," Chrono gave a firm nod before hanging up the phone. The right moment huh? That shouldn't be a problem. That man didn't seem around his range. At least, this would be an easy kill for him. Attacking him at night seemed like the best way to kill this one.

 **Well, here you are. The shit is finally kicking back in again. There's gonna be a lot happening next chapter so buckle up. Feel free to review, follow, or favorite! I'll try to get the chapter done a lot faster next time! Till then, see you 3**


	18. Chapter 18

**Buckle yourselves in, this is a long and intense one. Warning, there are some triggers coming in this chapter. Mostly of gore descriptions.**

 **Disclaimer: BNHA doesn't belong to me! I only own my OCs.**

Today was going to be a long day.

A long day, courtesy of a lot of content. First Himari was to go over to watch the students work on their quirks until summer break ends. Then, she was going to head over to Tartarus. She spent most of her night preparing for it. Or at least try to.

She was getting literally nowhere. There was nothing that she could do. There was no way of getting there without someone of the law with her. She was just a normal woman to them. There was no way she would be able to get in. She would be smeared as crazy.

She had such a need to talk to him know. He was the one that saved Tenko, right? She needed to know about his upbringing, maybe a sign that she could

It was an effort she didn't know would be good or bad. She didn't know till she tried. She knows it was utter reckless, but she had to know why and how. However, it just seemed like she wouldn't be able to answer it.

She came to that conclusion that it was going to be impossible to get in. She didn't have ties to the police to try to get her in, and even then, the police would think she's insane.

Oh well, she tried. There was literally no information online. She had no idea Tartarus was put under the radar, but it made sense. Only the worst of the worst of criminals would be there.

She's treading towards the arena where the students were training today. She was excited to see all the kids doing stuff. It was oddly inspirational that they were still working hard. After going through so much, it was inspirational. They inspired her to keep going.

She was heading towards the arena where they held the training. She knew she could learn a lot from these children despite being the one to teach them things.

"Hey! Young Tsuki!"

All Might waved over to her. His arm, still in a cast after what happened in Kamino. He ran over to her, "I didn't know you would be around here. Thought you would be home, not called in."

Himari blinked, wondering what exactly he was doing here. He was in no condition to be around such high training, "Ah, I could say the same to you, All Might. What exactly are you doing over here?"

"Well, I was planning on giving the kiddos points. Besides, it's not like I have anything else to do." He jabs a finger at himself, "What about you, Young Tsuki? I'd say it's not the best to be around high training like this." He probably was being a hypocrite here, but he always cared about others more than himself.

"Well, Aizawa asked me to come to see if I could harness my quirk in a different way. He said that I might learn something from the students." Himari responded, only telling him the truth. She wanted to learn more so she was gonna take every chance she could get with it, "We figured I get more training after what happened in the summer camp."

She noticed that All Might's mood dropped a bit before she waved her hands in front of her face, "Ah, please don't blame yourself. You can't be there every time." She let out a sigh. Her right hand, moving over to her heart, "Besides, we're all okay and it's all thanks to you. You and the others saved Takato so I really appreciate you watching out for her and everyone else, including me."

All Might did want to confront her about something, but now wasn't the time. Nezu had mention something about Himari's past but not going into great detail. That she was one of the survivors of a major villain attack as a kid. He wondered if there had been some correlation. If Shigaraki was around the age he thought he was, he wouldn't be that far off in age with Young Tsuki. If there was an incident, and the heroes didn't come for him, All for One would've used that to his utmost advantage. Major villain attacks staged as high as the one Himari was caught in as a child had to have been staged. It is what made him even more suspicious that Shigaraki must've been a part of that terrible night.

There was loads of major villain attacks. He might be overthinking, but if anyone knew Shigaraki at that young of an age, he needed to know. He needed to know what his master's grandson was like. How he was treated. The guilt would eat him up forever if he didn't confront her about this. The chances of her knowing him as a child was pretty slim, but if she did, if she knew him. That was enough evidence that he needed to know that All for One staged the entire thing that night.

However, there was more to this than just satisfying his own curiosity. He needed to make sure she was okay and not going to pull anything drastic. If she was connected to Shigaraki in some way, he needed to make sure she was okay. Even if he was in this weakened state, even if he was reduced to this horrendous form, he still had a duty to help his fellow staff. No matter what, he needed to make sure they were okay.

"Your words are helpful, Young Tsuki, thank you." He finally spoke, realizing the awkward silence that fell between to him while he was caught in his own thoughts, "but don't worry, I'm alright really." He sent a smile her way. He didn't want to worry her any further, especially if his suspicions were correct.

Himari knew all too well that smile was hiding some pain. She couldn't pinpoint what else was going on with him other than losing his powers. There was something there, something she didn't know about.

She wasn't going to pry though. She didn't want to be rude to him. She didn't want to feel as if she was trying to be pushy either. Being able to manipulate emotions made her realize emotions long before, but her kind nature tended to stop her. Then again, she knew people weren't inherently evil. They always had a reason to do things. The world wasn't black and white. There was a large grey area in it.

Geez, now she was making it awkward without a response. She didn't like making things awkward here.

"Ah, I won't pry, but please understand if you ever need to talk to me about anything, I'm here to help." Himari spoke up, feeling ready to burst at any second for making things too awkward here, "You might not be a student, but teachers need someone to talk to as well."

All Might was surprised at Himari's offer, but there was no need. She couldn't know about what was going on with One for All. Besides, he's always had to carry the burden of being a hero. It would be okay, he was always having to handle everything himself.

Besides, he wasn't entirely sure how much longer he was going to live. How much longer until his fated time came.

There was no need to get sad right now. His students needed his help.

"I appreciate the offer, Young Tsuki, thank you." He gestured her to follow him, "We shouldn't keep them waiting now."

She nodded firmly, walking along with him, "Right." He was right. She shouldn't get caught up in it, but she is pretty worried about him. There was so much that she could tell with his mood, but she had to put it to rest. Maybe one day, he'll approach her on it.

They went into the area, where all the students were training with their quirks. The terrain had a variety of cement stones all around.

"All Might?"

Before Himari could take the scenery in, she was startled by a transformation of All Might's muscle form, "I WASN'T CALLED IN TODAY SO I RUSHED OVER TO HELP ANYWAYS."

A moment passed and All Might was back into his true form.

"Is that how he greets everyone now?" Midnight asked Himari as she was walking over to the pro hero.

"Nah, he didn't great me. Looks like you guys got special treatment." Himari giggled warmly at Midnight's question.

"Speaking of which, what are you doing here, Himari? I thought you would be resting after the Kamino incident." Midnight hadn't gotten the memo, it seems about Himari watching the students train.

"I would be, but Aizawa asked me to come here to see if I could harness my quirk a bit more." She only knew how to harness one part of her quirk. She had to find more ways to harness it with her physical training and her weapon training over the next ten days before they go back to school, "I haven't really learned how to evolve it so he thought by watching the kids, I might get an idea of how to do it."

"I see, that makes sense." Midnight nodded at her words, "It's good though you're trying to make use of it. I assume to circumstances you've gone through as of recently had to be the case."

Himari nodded firmly, watching the students do their thing, "The summer camp definitely had an impact, but I actually asked Aizawa about it before the summer camp incident happened. Some of the villain attacks had me weary. I should've prepared myself a lot better for this."

"I think it's good that you're trying to prepare now. Our staff members have to be ready to protect the students without a moment's hesitation. That's exactly what you did back there according to some of my knowledge. You should give yourself credit." A hand rested on Himari's shoulder, "you're making the best out of the aftermath, and you did what you could back at the summer camp. You're just as much of a hero as all of us who are on the frontlines. You help the students at Yuuei with all their problems too. Don't forget your worth."

Himari smiled, nodding in agreement. It wasn't like she was actually upset or anything about the situation. She knows she was doing what she could and that was all that matters. She was trying to do so much that she could. Even though Midnight didn't know about the entire story, she knew that was helpful to hear.

"You should be paying more attention, Himari."

Aizawa's voice made Himari snapped out of her thoughts, putting her hands up in defense, "Ah, sorry!" She exclaimed, "I-I promise I'm watching…"

"You need to not get distracted, make sure you're figuring out what you want to do with your power, how you can harness it."

And with that, Aizawa walked off to watch the students.

"How to harness your quirk?" Midnight hesitated, "I can help as we watch the students perform."

"I'd appreciate that a lot actually." Himari smiled, watching Bakugou train with Ectoplasm. At least, she thinks that's his hero name. She's seen him a couple of times on TV, and sometimes around Yuuei, but she's never talked to him before.

"Okay so, think about how Bakugou is able to harness his blasts a lot bigger. He's able to amplify them through a much more focused attack." Midnight and Himari watched as Bakugou was putting holes through the cement that Cementos built up for the training, "As a result, he can channel more into his attack."

Himari watched as Bakugou blasted some of the Ectoplasm clones, looking up at what she assumed was the real one, "Hey, I killed one, teach!" He grumbled, ready to go another round with these damn knockoffs.

"What do you think? You got any ideas?" Midnight looked at Himari who was already thinking of how to work with her quirk differently than what she did now.

Her quirk comes from being able to manipulate other peoples' emotions, but only if its emotions she felt it over the last twenty-four hours. It gets hard to use it after multiple uses and that's what she and Aizawa were touching on in their training recently. Since her quirk had similar backlashes to his own, it was the best way to train it. She had to figure out how she can be able to harness it in a different way.

She was getting nothing. So she looked over to see the others practicing on their quirk, trying to figure it out. She's already trying to amplify her fighting skills with the new weapon she obtained. She couldn't get any upgrades with the way her quirk worked. It wasn't like any of the others' quirks around here.

She needed to find out a way to use it, in her own head.

Wait…

That was it. Use her quirk in her own head.

Noticing Himari's sudden realization after about a half hour of watching the students train, Midnight looked over at her, "Did you get something?"

Himari nodded, "Yeah, I think I did." She snapped her fingers, "My quirk allows me to manipulate the emotions of anyone, but only if I've felt that emotion over the last twenty-four hours. If people who are able to control their emotions very, very well are my opponents, then I'm at a disadvantage. However, if I use my quirk on myself to keep myself afloat, it gives me a chance." She was much smarter than an actual fighter. She was somewhat of a tactician, she just needed more experience, "There's also the consequences that I might be put in a stressed situation and that might help me."

"That's actually a pretty interesting point. If you can't control the actions of those around you, you can control the emotions in your head. That will definitely help you on the battlefield." Midnight nodded in agreement, "The fact you came to that conclusion is a good point, but you'll have to be careful of people that have quirks that have devastating power too. You'll already be at a disadvantage if you fight someone like that."

"You know it's not about power though, it's how you use it and how you can outsmart your opponent." Himari pointed out as Midnight nodded, smiling.

"Yes, that's a valid point. Experience is what you'll need in order to improve further. You're already figuring that out." Midnight was impressed with her. It took only one time with the students out here for her to realize her own move. It was an ultimate move. Instead of harnessing on it on others, she's harnessing it for herself.

As they finished, Himari was talking to Aizawa about how she was utilizing her quirk on further training before All Might put a hand on Himari's shoulder, "Hey, Aizawa-kun, you mind if I pull her away for a bit? I wanna discuss something with Young Tsuki here."

"Of course, that's all I wanted to speak about." Aizawa nodded, starting to walk away before turning back to Himari, "Be ready tomorrow afternoon after the students are done. We'll do training here."

"Right," Himari acknowledged, watching Aizawa leave before turning to All Might, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Come on, we'll do it elsewhere." All Might flipped his free hand.

XXXX

In one of the staff rooms, Himari sat at the table across from All Might. No one was here, not a single soul. All Might had Himari lock the door for private reasons.

Was he taking up her offer from early? The atmosphere was changing around them as if it was sharp, ready to be cut down at any moment.

Himari took a sip of her coffee that she had gotten before having a seat, setting the black cup on the white table, looking at All Might, "So is everything okay?"

"There's something I wanted to ask you earlier, but I held it down earlier because I didn't want you to be so tense watching the students today." All Might set his coffee mug down, looking at the pink haired girl, "You see, the principal addressed me some of your records recently but didn't tell me everything. He told me that only you would have to bring up such issues if you were ready." All Might set his arm on the table. Blue hues, lighting with curiosity, "I will not force you to come with answers that you aren't ready to share. Given some of the courses that you have entailed since you have arrived at Yuuei, I know you haven't had the best of times."

Himari nearly tensed up when he had mentioned seeing her record. How much did Nezu tell him about? There was only one way, "How much do you know of my record?"

"To be honest, not much but the basics. Your age, hometown, and that you were adopted by an elderly couple. However, the hometown of yours has some...horrendous history. From what I read, you and your grandparents are some of the few that survived a massive villain attack." All Might cleared his throat, continuing, "The massive villain attack killed many people you live in. I try to pass this onto Young Hanato, who is also from the same village, but she didn't give me a response back."

Himari twirled a strand of her pink hair, biting her lip nervously, "You're looking into the villain attack?"

"Yes, there's someone I think that had been there and who might've been behind the situation. The records show that the police weren't able to figure out who was the cause of the attack, but if the person I think it is was there at the time, it means that I might be closer to the person responsible." All Might wanted to bring this reminder back up, "As I said, there is no reason to speak about something that might be too uncomfortable. I understand this isn't a good memory for you to remember, but you might be the only one to answer it."

Himari didn't understand; was he looking for the culprit who did it? Or someone else? What was he getting at?

"Who exactly? I'm not entirely following, sir."

"I'm talking about Shigaraki Tomura."

Himari nearly choked on her coffee the moment he spoke that name, following a coughing fit.

All Might takes a moment to let Himari get herself together. He watched her get a glass of water, following some napkins, "That isn't the name you're supposed to know. You know him by his true name, right?"

Himari didn't expect him to come in here and talk about Tenko. What was he needing to know about Tenko? Why did he want to now? "Yes, his true name is Shimura Tenko, but he wasn't…" There was no way to lie in this situation. She couldn't lie to All Might of all people, but she didn't want him to think she was a traitor either. She wasn't; Tenko was a childhood friend of hers, but their relationship as of current wasn't really what it was.

"I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting to discuss him." She cleaned up the coffee she snorted out, walking over to throw the napkins in the trash before sitting back down, "I didn't think you'd confront me about it."

"That's true, are you comfortable in continuing the conversation now that you know?" All Might asked, taking a sip of his own coffee, "Anything in this room won't be spoken about, I assure you."

Himari sighed, "Yes, I was...friends with him as kids. Machiko was too, but I was much closer to Tenko than she was."

All Might knew that this was getting closer to piece together. He knew now that there was some confirmation on his theory. All for One staged the villain attack on her hometown. However, he couldn't help but question how the grandchild of his master was like. He was curious, after all.

"How was…" All Might hesitated, trying to find the right words, "How was he like as a child?" He felt despair in the pit of his nonexistent stomach. He wishes things had been different, but he couldn't go against his master's wishes either. He could only save those that were within his reach. That was the best he could do as a hero, and as a human being.

Himari was surprised at that question. She didn't think she would get that kind of a question. Her eyes darted away from him, "Ah, well, he was a shy kid. I think I was attracted to that because I had horrible social anxiety at that age. I awakened my quirk at a pretty young age. A few months before the villain attack happened, actually. He never saw me as a monster. He never ran away from me like the other kids because they didn't like a mood freak running around. Said people like me aren't supposed to have quirks that want to be heroes. Anyways, Tenko never thought of me as horrible, and it helped what little self-esteem I had left. It kept my sanity going. If only I just…"

All Might had gotten out of the seat the moment he realized she was shaking from talking about this. He felt bad for her. She's lost a lot. He and she are quite similar in this situation. Nonetheless, he intended to give her some comfort so he puts a comforting hand of her shoulder, noticing the tears begging to pour out of her eyes, "I know it's easy to blame yourself, but you were just a child then, Young Tsuki." He kneeled down to her level, pulling her into a hug as best as he could with his arm that wasn't broken, "You had no control of what happened." He knew that all too well what it was like. It was like that with Nana, when he had lost her.

That's when tears fell from her eyes, "I-I know, I guess I wish I could've done something more." She wiped the tears from her face, pulling away from him, "I've come to accept there was nothing I could do, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt."

"You've seen Shigaraki as an adult before, haven't you? That explains why you were able to know his current name. I can't imagine that encounter went well." He walked over to where he was sitting at before, taking a seat.

"It really didn't; I can tell his memory is very hazy. I don't think he remembers much from our past. He was really mad when he found out I was working with you all." She didn't want to put them all in harm's way. It was why she was working so hard to make sure she could handle herself. Things would be better that way. She didn't need them to get involved in her problems too, "It made me wish that maybe if I found him that night, maybe he wouldn't be like this. But I do want to try to save him. I know most people would find me naive, but it doesn't hurt to try right?"

She's scared. Toshinori can feel that in his bones. She's terrified. She's afraid she won't be able to save him. She's afraid that she'll fall into his game of chess even though she didn't want to be a part of his plans. He can tell. She was carrying a huge burden on herself. If she was truly the only thing he remembers from his past, then it's no wonder he's clinging onto her so desperately.

It makes it all the more reason why they both needed to try to help him. He couldn't see him as a criminal anymore. Not since he realized he was Shimura's grandson.

"You know, I too want to save him. He was related to someone close to me." Toshinori admitted, trying to soothe her a bit. He knows this must be hard to tell him all of this, but he's glad she trusted him with this information.

"He was?" Was he talking about his parents? Someone from a family friend? She wouldn't pry if he didn't want to, "I won't make you talk about it, but I'm glad I'm not the only one. I just don't know how the public would interact with my ties to the Leader of the League of Villains." She knows all too well the reason why Tomura went nuts, no one went to save him, no one tried to help him. That devastation and helplessness must've made him feel as if the world failed him so much. That _she_ failed him.

"They would probably want you thrown in the nearest jail, I'm afraid." He understands now why Nezu left so many details out. He wanted to make sure that he didn't tell anything without Himari's permission, "You don't have to worry about that." He sent a bright smile out to her, "We'll do our best to help you, as best as we can." He hates being so helpless though. Not having One for All took a big hit to his confidence. He wishes he could help her other than just words of affirmation.

Himari smiled, standing up from her seat. It stung that people would want her thrown in prison for just being associated with Tenko, but she knew she could trust All Might and Nezu.

"Thank you," Then, something else hits her that she needs to talk about, "Oh, let me talk to you about one more thing. It's about All for One. Machiko told me she remembers seeing a guy dressed similar to him before the incident. I think it's important to tell you about it."

This stops Toshinori in his tracks. Seriously? It had to be him that had a hand that played into that night. His suspicions were correct. All for One had to have settled that attack himself. He had to have done it to shape Tomura into the person he wanted him to be.

"That's, much appreciated, Young Tsuki." Toshinori turned his head to leave before he stopped, "I need to get going. I'm glad you trusted me with this information. Please, don't hesitate to talk to me if this bothers you. I'm here for you. So is Principal Nezu."

And with that, he left.

XXXX

 **Earlier at about 4:00 PM**

It had been an hour since Himari was supposed to be home. Wasn't like her to take her sweet time. He's confused, wondering if anything happened to her. She could've been easily kept up at Yuuei. He knew how much those kids loved her there. Not to mention how much the staff members cared if they hired a spy to keep her safe.

Aiden checked the time. It was about 1600 hours now. He should shoot her a text to see if everything was okay.

Before he could do that, his phone buzzed. Looking at it, he realized that it was some kind of restricted call. He decided to answer it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Doing quite the spy job, aren't you?"

Aiden's eyes widened in shock at the words, "Who the hell are you?"

"All in good time, but I think you might wanna listen to what I have to say instead of getting mad at me." The dead voice spoke into his phone, "See, there's something we want from you, and if we don't get it, some of your members are gonna have a little accident."

"You…" Aiden gritted his teeth, "What's this about?" He knows the agency has a tendency to tip off some villains, but this. He doesn't remembering tipping off any villains recently. Did Takato fail her mission? No, that was impossible. Was this one of the League members?

"No need to be impatient." The voice purred, "You'll only make things worse for you and your agency, Kagemusha. Now, listen up, for there are no objections: You'll have to come alone, in a location that I'll send to your phone. If you bring anyone else, I'll blow up the entire agency. If you send your location, I'll kill them. You will meet me there in about an hour."

A terrorist? This fucking bastard. He couldn't abandon his post like this. Damn, they're not giving him much choice. If they knew he was spying on Himari, this had to be a trap. He couldn't walk into it if he knew it.

Who was it though? The League? Were they onto him? What the hell is going on?

His phone got a text immediately of the location. A rough part of town, mostly run down.

These assholes are gonna be lucky if they don't get torn apart by his hands. No one messes with one of the Takato members and doesn't get hurt.

He didn't know if these guys were bluffing but if they weren't, he had no choice but to go in.

He'd have to apologize to Takato later.

XXXX

Here it was, some part of the forest outside of town. Thankfully, there wasn't anything nearly as bad as the underground. Too many times, he'd see things that would keep average people at.

It was about 1700 hours now. That dude should be around here by now. Where's that dude? Was this a prank? Was this a joke? Because he'd throw them to the nearest police office if it was.

Suddenly, the feeling of something being shot towards him hit him. He flipped back to dodge. Seeing an arrow in the ground, and not a weapon one. No, this was different, had to have been from some quirk.

"Not bad. I don't usually get ones that can dodge my arrow."

That was the voice with him on the phone. Another arrow launched at him again, but Aiden jumped to his life to avoid it, "You're not one for appearances, I see. Did you disarm the bombs?"

"Disarm? Who said anything about bombs?"

Aiden's eyes widened. This was a trap? That was…

This didn't add up, "Are you from the League?"

"Hardly." The voice shorted, "As I would work with amateurs like that."

The noise of a gun reloading came into his ears. Aiden put up his shadows, preparing himself as a barrage of gunfire came. His shadows were small, but he was able to block them.

However, the figure that came to view almost threw Aiden off, raising his arrow again from his hair.

He used what little he had of the shadows to block them, pushing himself backward and out of harm's way. He slid to the ground. His right hand, on the ground.

Aiden grunted as the man came into his view again, arrows, blasting towards him. He rolled around to avoid them, watching them meet with the tree he was pressed against.

Seeing the tree falling, Aiden took his chances to slide on the shadows he created, increasing speed in order to move faster than the guy.

He didn't know where to lead this guy but he needed to get away in case he brought back up.

"Of course I'm not." The man snorted.

The plague doctor mask guy gave chase, knowing fully well what his orders were. He needed to take out this man quickly before the heroes showed up. Kai would make things easier if he was around, but he would have to just go with what he got for now.

This man's fast. He could be on top of him in a matter of time. If he's going to the public, the heroes will be on top of him in seconds. He needs to make sure this boy is taken care of. Then he can move on to bigger things that needed to be attended to.

He tries to strike again with his arrow, but the shadows block his move again. Damn, it looks like this boy was a lot tougher than he realized. No matter...

He brought it out again as Aiden tried to move it to the offensive. It failed, however, as the yakuza aimed the arrow in a direction.

"What the-"

Blood spilled not even a moment after Aiden uttered those words, feeling himself slowly unable to move in an instant. His side was cut. However, when he tried to activate his shadows, it failed.

He fell onto the ground, hearing a few bones crack in response to how big the fall was.

The hell? Why can't he move?

"You're quite the unlucky one. It's such a shame the Principal of Yuuei decided that you were the one having to track that girl. If it wasn't for him, you'd probably be able to live." The man loaded his gun, aiming it right at Aiden.

"Himari? What the hell do you guys want from-"

Three shots echoed in the quiet zone of the city. Blood splattering before a head was cut clear from Aiden's body.

"That was...rather difficult." Chrono sighed before picking up the severed head. It would serve well to use against the girl when it needed to. Then, she wouldn't say no.

XXXX

Himari's errands took a little more than what she expected. She was yawning over her long day. Being able to visit All for One was a pipe dream. She wanted answers, but she knew he probably wouldn't tell her. She was just a civilian to anyone in Tartarus. God knows what they might do if they figured out she had ties to Tomura.

She was heading back, having been called to hang out with Yuu for a bit after she got out of training and talking with All Might. It was a refreshing end to the day, at least. This socialization drained her, really. Her and All Might already have a conversation about Tenko earlier and it took a toll on her emotionally. Yuu hanging out though definitely helped. It helped calm her nerves down from such a long and exhausting day.

She was about to unlock the door to her apartment before she heard a deep and chilling voice from behind her.

"They sent one guard to protect you. The principal of Yuuei must be getting irresponsible."

Tension sparked in a matter of seconds. It wasn't deadly though. This was different.

She turned over to see a man with a plague doctor mask standing a few feet away from her. Her eyes widened. This was…

They were supposed to be numbered though. Just how the heck did they get the ability to take down…

Wait…

Did something happen to the person that was guarding her? Watching her? Nezu never told her who it was, but…

There's no way an organization that's been getting torn down for so long could be capable of taking down someone Nezu put in charge of this. If the stakes were high then why wouldn't Nezu put one that was capable of handling the situation? This didn't add up.

"One guard? How did you…" She trailed off as the man cut her off.

"You had no idea, did you? Who was actually guarding you?" His hand that was hiding behind his back revealed Aiden's severed head in his hands.

Himari's heart stopped when she saw that. Her eyes widened in horror. Her lips were quivering in fear, in shock, in sadness, in despair.

This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't. Why did Aiden…?

Why did he accept something like that? Why did Nezu put him as her guard?

This couldn't be happening.

A scream wanted to come out of her lips but was unable to. She was too frozen with shock, too frozen with fear, too frozen with the denial that her childhood friend's second in command was dead. He couldn't be. No, Aiden was strong, he couldn't just lose a fight with this guy. The man had no scratches on him at all.

There was no way Aiden couldn't have been bested like this.

"Y-You d-didn't…" Himari was barely able to utter a word out of her trembling lips. Her body wanted to run away as fast as she could, but she couldn't. She was frozen. She couldn't just stand here though.

Aiden's not dead. He can't be dead. He was Machiko's third in command. He couldn't be dead. This was impossible.

He's lying, he had to be. Even though Himari couldn't detect it, she knew some people were good about hiding their emotions, their true intentions.

Blood was dripping on Aiden's severed head as the masked man let out a heavy sigh, taking a daunting step forward towards her.

"You believe that I'm lying?" He questioned with a harsh tone of venom. He sent chills down Himari's spine. If she doesn't believe him, he will just have to prove it.

He dropped the severed head of Aiden's and stepped on it in a matter of moments after dropping it down on the cold ground. Thunder roared in the area, seeing some lightning behind Himari's shaking and terrifying figure. So fragile, this one. She was hardly a threat to him.

Himari watched as the head cracked open, splattering what little blood was in the head. She could see bits and pieces of the brain. All mixed in with blood and flesh.

She dropped to her knees in shock, realizing that this was actually happening. Aiden was dead; he was gone.

It was all her fault. She covered her face with her hands, sinking down into the ground. Her breathing sped up, anxiety taking control of her body along with the anguish.

If she didn't come to Yuuei, this wouldn't have happened. Aiden would be alive, smiling with Machiko. They could've been a relationship, they could've been happy, they could've gotten married, they could've saved so many lives.

And her existence, her very own existence, caused all of this. It caused his life to be cut short.

The voices screamed out at her in her head. _It's your fault. Aiden wouldn't have been dead if you didn't get yourself so stuck in Yuuei. You just had to come out of hiding, didn't you?_

Quiet sobs came out of her lips. He was dead because of her ties, wasn't he? It was because of Tenko's need for her to be on his side that caused this, didn't it?

How the hell was she supposed to face Machiko after seeing this? After realizing Aiden's life was cut off because of the fact that she was associated with the leader of the League of Villains.

She couldn't fight back the tears. Her stomach ached as if it was about to explode. She felt like her oxygen was cut off with how choked up she had gotten.

She should've left Yuuei when she considered it. She should've. She could've saved Aiden's life if she did that.

Instead, she was selfish. She decided it was better to do things for herself. How could she have been so naive?

"Tsuki Himari, you must understand, I didn't want to kill him." He merely caused a crater in their plans, but now, he won't be able to, "You understand when things don't go right, correct?" He stepped closer, to her, watching her quivering figure look up at him. Her face looked drain from the crying she had been letting out, "Don't worry though, if you come with me willing, there won't be any further casualties in this situation."

She went pale when those words were heard. He was playing her, playing her like a violin. Her paranoia rose even further. They wanted something from her, didn't they?

"Kai, our leader, doesn't like it when he has to get his hands dirty." He looked down at the cracked head, "For the sake of your own safety, coming with us is the only way." This wasn't negotiable. She was far too dangerous for her own good. She had ties to the League of Villains. That was too dangerous to keep running around freely. She either agrees or she will lose more and more people. The man from the Takato agency would just be the first if she didn't comply.

Silence fell between the two of them as he waited for an answer.

He had no further time for this. He didn't need to tip off one of the heroes. Everything in their plan had been going smoothly. He wanted to keep it that way.

His arrow from his hair came at her, striking at her right shoulder, knocking the Yuuei staff member to the ground.

It happened so fast that Himari barely had time to react. She was too emotional to think straight right now. Her shoulder stung from being cut, but she realized the moment she hit the ground, she was unable to move.

And with a quick kick to the head, she fell into darkness.

 **Phew, this was one of the darkest chapters I've written in a while. Next chapter, Overhaul gets to meet Himari! Don't worry, the reasoning of his interest in Himari will be explained. Please kudo if you like and leave a comment on your thoughts on this chapter if you would like. :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Woot here we go. Sorry as usual for the lateness. I've been dealing with a lot of irl issues lately and my mental health hasn't been great. I'm excited for this stuff but there's some blood and gore just to warn everyone.**

 **Disclaimer: BNHA belongs to Kohei Horikoshi! I only own my OCs.**

 **XXXX**

It is the time of the afternoon now that Yuu was to get ready for her usual pro hero shift. She wandered around to make sure things were okay on the streets. She had quite the route today. Most of it didn't involve the massive amounts of danger that she had an encounter with in Kamino, thank goodness. Rather than being excited to go back to the front lines, Yuu wasn't really into going back. Sure, part of her was excited but she was glad to relax. Destressing with Himari last night really helped. They went shopping, didn't have some massive villains crash their party, just chilled and did girly things.

Which reminded her, she hadn't check her phone in a bit. She texted Himari this morning to thank her for last night, hoping to catch her before she went out to visit Daichi for today.

She opened her phone to see nothing. That's odd, Himari should be at lunch right now. She checked her messages to see that it was yet to be seen. Even more odd. She usually checks her phone before she leaves and during her walk.

She was probably busy. Himari did tell her yesterday that she was making some stuff to take over there so maybe she was caught up in that? She'll get to her in no time, she's certain.

She meant up with Kamui Woods just a bit later to do some scouting together. She had gotten close to him a lot, and remembered talking to Himari last night about some crush she had on him. Himari had told her to just give it a shot and ask him on a date. Her heart ached in not being able to take Himari's advice and try to be vocal. It was totally unlike her to be like this. She was always so forward with her emotions.

"Say, have you heard from Himari in a bit?" Kamui asked her as they walked along the streets, seeing some kids squealing in excitement seeing them in person.

Yuu sent a bright smile out, waving at the children before lowering her hand, "Yeah, I was hanging out with her last night actually. I needed a total destress from what happened in Kamino, and she rushed over without a single thought after her Yuuei duties were settled. She's doing well. Although I texted her this morning, but she hasn't gotten back to me yet."

She thought she was overthinking this, but she had a feeling, deep in her gut that something was wrong. Himari was keeping stuff from her but it hadn't been anything she was willing to talk about.

"Oh." Kamui sighed, "Well, I'm sure nothing has happened. Probably just a busy day. Nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, she was making a cake for Daichi when she got home last night. She works herself to death, that girl, but she's always trying to make everyone around her happy. I wish she did the same for herself." As much as Yuu wanted to admit it, there was a miniscule thing, screaming at her that something wasn't quite right, but she had no idea if it was true. Maybe paranoia after the trauma she went through not too long ago? Himari and her talked about that last night and she thought she was doing better.

"Daichi?" Kamui was confused at the name.

Yuu smiled, "It was her last client before she became a counselor at Yuuei. She keeps in touch with them all the time. It's pretty adorable. It's like she's an aunt figure. Girl really needs to take a break though, but she keeps telling me keeping herself busy is key." She wished Himari would take a break, but she's always such a giving person. She thinks of others before herself after all.

"Ah, yeah, I understand, are you worried about her at all?"

"I mean, kind of? She usually answers me by now. She ghosted me for like a week but got back into the swing of things. I think she is pretty busy, but…"

"Do you know where she's at now?"

"Supposed to be at Daichi's actually, but I don't know where the place is. Himari introduced me to them once, but she hasn't really been around to tell me where the location is. Besides, I don't want her to think I don't trust her." She's probably busy, totally busy.

Kamui sighed, "Well, here's to hoping she gets your message soon and responds. If I'm still with you, I can help you find her if she doesn't respond at all by sundown."

"You don't need to do that." Yuu sighed, brushing her hair out of her face, "After all, I'm sure she's okay. If she doesn't respond in a few hours, then I'll start panicking." She probably got caught up in frosting the birthday cake this morning, "There isn't a need for you to help."

"I want to help though. If your friend is _in_ trouble like you think she _might_ be, it would be my duty as a hero to try to help. Knowing now and not doing anything wouldn't be great."

Yuu let out a heavy sigh. He was right. If she was in trouble. Then they would do something from there. For now, she would just have to enjoy her routine until she got home.

XXXX

There is nothing but darkness. Nothing but the feeling of a cold ground along with a pounding headache. Himari's eyes are trying to adjust to the dim lights that was blinding her eyes. Her groaning was soft, but she was trying to regain her consciousness, not knowing what exactly had happened before she was knocked unconscious.

The sudden noise of footsteps came. The sound of a knock on a door echoed but it was only quiet. Her eyes tried to adjust to the light, adjust to the room, before trying to rise from the ground. Her eyesight was still blurry, unable to really pinpoint what was going on. Her body had been shaking even trying to sit up.

Her heart was racing faster than usual. Even though her brain was trying to catch up, her body wasn't responding. Even in her exhausted, groggily state, she knew there was something off.

The sound of the door opening echoed in her ears. She felt like the noise was miles away. Hearing faintly, someone stepping in the room. She was still trying to get her sight together.

"Hit you with a shot of athestisa, didn't they?" The man's deep voice called out that was louder. As if she was starting to get herself together.

Athesitisa? Is that what he said?

"A-Athesitisa?" She struggled to say out loud, trying to get herself to her feet, Her vision kept blurring but it was getting clearer and clearer by the minute. Her body was still sloppy.

Did someone drug her?

"Yeah, yeah, I heard Chronostasis mention to the boss that he put some athesisitia since you're a doctor. Saved the trouble of fighting if you had woken up to that kick." The man's mask came into the view, as a plague doctor kind of mask.

Himari still couldn't remember what was going on, but if she was drugged, that would explain why her nerves are shot at the moment. She didn't understand why someone was coming in here, but her brain needed to catch up a little longer.

"What's…" She muttered, trying to shake the exhaustion out of her. Eyes, adjusting to the room.

It was a grey one, faced with a nightstand at the corner and a bed a few feet from her. She must've fell when she woke up from the way the pillows were, straight on the floor. There was a dim lights above, showing a few light bulbs to lighten up the room.

Her body went into full panic mode, realizing this place was not her room.

Before the man could speak, Himari's fist connected with his face in a matter of moments, knocking him into the wall. Adrenaline rushed through her body as if it was ignoring the drug in his systems.

She took her chance to run, making it as far to the main room, but someone grabbed her quickly by the back of her neck. Her body screamed to be let go. Her brown eyes, activating her quirk, trying her hardest to break out, making the man as jumbled as he could be in that moment. The man let go, clenching his head in pain before Himari threw a kick towards his groin. The man nearly dropped to his knees.

"You little bit-"

He was cut off as an a loud popping noise cut him off. Himari turned around to see what was happening, only to see the remnants of the man's insides dropping, following a splatter of blood in seconds. His mask was on the ground. However, what made her freeze was the man next to where the man once stood. Blood, covering his clothes, blending with the stain of red on the wall and on the ground.

He was only about an inch taller than her. He is a pale man of a narrow build with short, shaggy auburn hair, parted to the left. His eyes are thin, their irises small and gold, with rather long lower eyelashes and small eyebrows. They were staring into Himari's very soul which caused fear to hit her in a matter of moments after hearing the pop that was inhumane. She is trying to stop herself from vomiting from the sight, almost dropping to her knees. His presence was hell on earth.

What the hell was this guy? She was frozen in fear, unable to do anything after seeing what he had just did.

His eyes met hers and she knew he was pissed. He pointed a gloved hand at her, "Sit!" Came the gruff, angry tone. His voice also had a combination of a loud and stern voice. This was not a suggestion..

If he hadn't said those words, she would be frozen in fear. But seeing what had just happened to one of his own members made her move quickly, followed by the loud and stern voice. Seeing the blood splattered on the wall was just more of a reason to get to the chair as soon as possible. She did not want to end up like the man that had just exploded.

She knew when she started working at Yuuei that she would probably have to deal with a lot of attention, but not like this. She never expected a Yakuza group to abduct her. The way that guy's power went off, the way he presented himself in such an intimidating matter. This guy _had_ to be the leader. He was pretty young, probably around her age. He had so much power for someone so young. He blew up someone just right in front of her. Was that his quirk? What was going on?

She needed to calm down. This wasn't the time for this.

She sat there, trying to calm herself from what she had seen, taking a few deep breaths. His presence was death itself. Maybe if she didn't try to fight back with that guy when he had brought her here, he wouldn't have died, but that really wasn't what she was really concerned with. No, she was more concerned about getting out of here and actually living. There was no way she could handle someone like him. If he had a suspicion that she was using her quirk against him, she probably would end up like the guy that had been fighting to restrain her only moments ago.

"I'm-I'm sorry." She gulped, unable to look at him in the eye. This was bad, this was really bad, "I promise I won't fight back anymore." She was a fool if she didn't listen to him.

To this man, there was nothing worse than the sound of death, especially the after effects of Overhaul, his quirk. He hated the blood, the gore, shaking through into his clothes. He hated the eerie sound of the remains from the overhauled specimen that would drop to the ground after that sickening pop that was as loud as fireworks. God damn, he wasn't one to lose his patience like this. He felt the need to scrub himself raw right away, but there were other matters to attend to.

He couldn't hold the shakingly woman that was trembling in fear, seating herself in the chair as instructed, accountable in shock. He wasn't one to let his quirk ran rampant, but it never goes unnoticed whenever it goes off. It was never disregarded when he felt the anguish of blood searing into his very clothing, but more importantly, his skin. It dried quick, reminding himself he would have to scrub himself raw after his business was done. He absolutely hated that he had not brought a handkerchief with him. He never expected this situation to escalate like this.

"Ah…" His voice is soft, tender even that a knife could be taken and slit through meat like butter. His detachment clung to him like a rat to a sewer. His gold hues darted to his hand that was filled with a splatter of blood. He curled his hand to a loose fist, relaxing himself, "Damn it. So filthy… I didn't think it would have to come to this."

Although he had spoken aloud, his voice is not directed toward the sole person in the room. His shoulders relaxed themselves. He always had despised losing his patience, always despised using his quick. However, it had been necessary. He didn't need one of his men destroying one of his plans.

He finally tilted his head over to Himari, addressing her finally, "This isn't nearly the impression I've idealized for first encounters," he muttered loud enough for her to hear, adjusting his bloodstained tie. "Some people just can't keep their composure… I suppose even the most precautionary measures can't be utterly perfect."

Overhaul sighed at her sudden apology. It was anticipated. While she was too overwrought for his preference, he can appreciate the formality and the respect that echos from her lips. "I'd hope not." His voice was dry, filled with years of detachment, "I'm not trying to dirty my hands any more. You're here for a reason; I'd rather not have wasted my time rounding you up."

There is something not right with this guy. There's something off; something she couldn't pinpoint. Anxiety tries to cling to her, as if a mother held her child tightly. It holds her, despite being much calmer than what she was moments ago. She still felt the same deadly presence that she felt not even five minutes ago and it was screaming for her instincts to kick in. It's not nearly as powerful, but it's there. It wasn't suffocating her, but it made her body intense.

She had come to the conclusion that she wasn't going anywhere, for now. Not unless she wanted to meet a deadly end. There was no way she could do either or in this situation. Where else was she supposed to go? She didn't know where she was going. She didn't even know where exactly she was.

It was as if he was able to destroy something in an instant. Did it have to do something with touch? She remembered he went with the name Overhaul from records she had seen when she started in the mental health field. He was an S class threat too. Everyone was recommended not to try to fight him if a scene broke out. She knew why now, seeing what he was capable of.

It was no wonder they were warned about by the Yakuza. They weren't known as much as a threat, but this one, this one especially, had been a huge threat.

Either way, she wasn't getting out anytime soon. She'd be stupid to resist him further. It leads to the question of why, why was he after her? Did she put too much attention in her time at Yuuei? Yes, that had to be it. Everything that had happened before made sense.

She hated how much that she didn't know what happened when she blacked out. All she remembered was leaving Yuu's place…

Calm down, she needed to know what was going on. Why did someone like Overhaul want something from her? It couldn't of been personal. No, that wasn't in someone like his style. Not with the record she once read of him once.

The Yakuza do all sorts of crimes, ranging from illegal weapons exchange, experimentation, human trafficking, and other methods. He wouldn't of taken the time to bring her here if it was for some human trafficking.

"I have a question for you, Overhaul, sir." She finally spoke. Her fingers, trembling on her legs, unable to make any eye contact with the villain standing before her, "Why did you target me? Are you interested in my quirk?"

That had to be it. Using her as a bargaining chip with the heroes didn't make sense for him to try. What would he gain from that?

Overhaul's eyes narrowed at her question. He is much at ease that she is calm, pacifistic even. It was a good decision for someone in her situation. Even the slightest step out of line would end bad. He was glad she was cooperating with him. Many people would fight and snarl at him or be in full panic mode. Her attitude, was much easier to handle.

Still, he could sense the fear dripping in her skin. There was no surprise. No matter how much she hid it, he knew fear all too well, seeing it in many. He is not here to pity her. No, all of this was strictly business.

His eyebrows rose at the question, letting out a grunt of acknowledgement at her words. His right hand rises, reaching to his temple, wiping the blood that he was feeling about to dry. He finally speaks as he lower his hand. His golden hues, locking onto Himari, "I've heard a bit about you, Tsuki Himari."

"That _is_ how underground operations usually work, anyway. Once you let something slip, word spreads like a wildfire. Some people just can't tread cautiously, but it _is_ harder than you may anticipate." He knows that this may be surprising to her, but she has hit the nail on the dot. At least, one of them, "To stifle your curiosity, however, you presume correctly. You've an ability that caught my attention. It's essentially why I summoned you here." He glances at the blood stained on the wall from his quirk going off. Soon, the blood would reach the floor as well. It would be a job for someone later to scrub the walls off.

"I apologize, I'm usually not for these kinds of actions in first encounters. I am more familiar with diplomacy than this. My men knows what happens when they risk something like this." He couldn't let the man try to just kill one of the people he worked hard to bring in, especially her of all people.

"I had a feeling I wasn't randomly targeted." Himari spoke up, keeping herself calm. No malicious intent of trying to kill her, and even then, she'd hardly think she would have much of a chance.

She didn't have suspicion that she was being followed, only because of Nezu's selected spy on her. Was he able to anticipate that though? Just how long have they been tailing her? How long have they been doing this? What do they know about her?

It was hard to keep herself composed, but one step out of line could end her life. She wasn't going to risk that now. She had to at least try to get out of here eventually. She's got people to live for, after all.

"Though I can't help but wonder if being in Yuuei had something to do with it. Nonetheless, you said it yourself that you wouldn't have wasted your time dragging me here without a reason." The quirk had been enough, but could there have been another benefit he had to snatch her? She wasn't sure. Overhaul didn't strike her as someone who wanted Yuuei knowledge and she wouldn't really know too much anyways. She was still semi-new to Yuuei.

A glint of Overhaul's golden eyes reveals satisfaction from her words. She was certainly smart, keeping herself calm in order not to escalate things. Besides, even if he had just seen who she _was_ , he was rather _confident_ in his recruitment.

"Well, I can't say you're wrong incorrect, for the most part." Overhaul let out a small shrug at her comments. It is quite lucky that she didn't have any blood splattering on her. "It surprised me to find that you've established yourself at Yuuei, I admit." He reached his hand to the blood stained tie, adjusting it. "It brings a lot of attention. And judging from how you're acting, you don't seem to be keen on that."

He was impatient, mostly because he couldn't stand the scene of this room any longer. The blood, the violent nature that he himself lashed out not too long ago. It was hardly the place to carry out recruitment of all things.

"But I am interested in a number of things from you." He continued, "We have a lot to discuss, you and I. I'd like to offer you a chance that doesn't come particularly often towards anyone; let alone someone such as yourself."

His glint in his eyes heightens, merely a backdrop to the harsh detachment that shines among his intimidating gaze. It is certainly hard for her or anyone to tell if it bled arrogance, pleasure of her corporation, or just simply amusement despite the circumstances. It only lasts a moment though, making it even harder to tell, "Perhaps we can discuss elsewhere; I'd rather not stay in this room, anyway." And perhaps he can clean first. That drying scarlet caking upon his clothes and skin and into each and every crevice across his body is filthy, disgusting remnants of someone disposable. Someone worth no more than dirt caked beneath his shoes.

"I'm sure you can agree, hmm?"

Innocence, shaken from years of hiding out of sight with the twisted mix of her quirk exploding out of control when she was young, was now indicated to be challenged, destroyed by the very quirk she didn't like for years. Sure, people had always told her she was too kind to use a destructive power, but if she was honest, she had been even more scared to use it because of that reason. She was afraid of what might happen if she does say no to his offer. Villains like him had ways of making people cooperate. She didn't have to witness that even though she had been shown a prime example of that earlier. She was smart enough to figure it out herself.

She is caught in a pickle, courtesy of how useful her quirk was. Her grandfather banged it into her head many times that she was going to have to be careful, vigilant, at that. Many people had stories about their useful quirks. They attracted the wrong people, and it had ended badly for them. She can't say she hadn't always been prepared for that same fate herself, unwilling to change the fact that she had walked into the turmoil despite being so useful for villains, for people who could take advantage of her. Her grandfather's teachings also helped her learn that.

Her grandfather also taught her if she was ever caught in a situation like this to be perfectly calm. Constant panic would make her unable to think straight, unable to figure out a way around this game of chess.

Something in Overhaul's second response made her anxiety go up. Curiosity was also plaguing her body as well. Did he know about her before she joined Yuuei? How did he know? That was impossible. Her life before Yuuei had been completely covered up, especially recently.

He was right, she didn't like attention, but that didn't mean she hadn't been prepared for it. It didn't mean she hadn't accepted the risks of such things, "You're correct, I'm not. However, I have thought of the risks for a long time and accepted them."

Despite that, there was one thing she hadn't been prepared for and that was getting the attention of the Yakuza.

Then, there was a glint in his eyes that she couldn't tell what exactly he was thinking, planning. It could send anyone into emotional overdrive. However, she was able to keep herself together, despite how unpredictable he was. The violent room hadn't helped with her anxiety so she found herself able to agree with such things.

"Y-Yes" She stammered, rising from her seat and nodding, "A change of scenery would be good."

XXXX

About 5:00PM

Yuu let out a heavy sigh, having finishing her shift for today. She hadn't checked her phone in a couple of hours. However, she hasn't heard it buzzed one time today. It was getting on her nerves. Now, she was starting to worry. Himari should be home by now. She should've texted her by now. What was going on?

She needed to go over there. She checked her phone to make sure, but still nothing.

A flicker of fear had struck her very soul. Not for herself but for Himari. Her breathing, shorten. Clenched fists tightened. Her body tensed at the sudden realization that her friend might not be okay. Should she have jumped out of her shift earlier to check on Himari? Sure, she knew she was busy but she couldn't help but feel the guilt washing over her as if she had been hit with a riptide.

She made a massive dash over, ignoring Kamui's pleas to help from earlier. She needed to run over to her house asap. She didn't have time to call him. This was worrying her now. She was scared. She was worried that Himari was in some grave danger. Why would she be? She gets she tipped off some villains and Yuuei pissed some off too, but why Himari? Why would they go after her of all people? She wasn't nearly as known so wouldn't they go after someone notorious.

No, she needed to stop. She had thought she was panicking too much. However, something felt _bad_ about this. Something didn't feel right.

Had it been the guy they had an alert on in the mall? No, no, why is she jumping to that conclusion? The report did say that it was the Leader of the League but it didn't make any sense at all if he was making a move now on Himari when he didn't before. What was so different about now?

She's getting too paranoid. She just needed to rush over. Maybe everything was okay with Himari and she just fell asleep when she got home?

She would only have to find out. She needed to get over there now.

XXXX

"Principal Nezu."

The door to Principal Nezu's office opened in an instant as Naomasu Tsukachi walked into the room. His eyes, narrowing as he handed out some paperwork to the Principal, taking a seat across from the man, "I'm sorry, this is all the information I got when we investigated Tsuki's apartment. There's no sight of Aiden as well. It's like they both disappeared out of nowhere." It seemed like that at least. There was no shred of evidence of their sights.

Nezu took a look at the report that was in his hands, "No evidence of their whereabouts."

He was getting paranoid again. The inner workings of his huge brain made it so that he was overthinking things. Aiden couldn't of been some kind of mold. That was impossible. From the way he had been talking to him lately, it didn't add up, but why disappear without a trace? Was he looking for Himari? It was possible she may have wandered a bit farther than what was expected for Aiden to figure out. Some alteration for her schedule. That had to be it.

Unless the League found her and disposed of Aiden, or perhaps used him against her. That was very possible. They had to have known some of her weakpoints. That wasn't a weakness per say, but that was a way to sway Himari. Even with her newfound strength, it would stop her.

Then, another thought came to mind. Someone who was skilled at hiding evidence wasn't in the League. If they were about to clear evidence, then the League couldn't be responsible. There was a report of ruckus going on, but the League wouldn't of cared about mess. They would've just left it there as a sign that they were not to be trifled with.

That wasn't the League's style. So that means someone else, according to this theory could've ended up being the one to solve this.

No, then he realizes, the League has someone that is able to transport people. It was how the villains were able to get away during the USJ attack. How could he have forgotten that detail. Did they use the warp gate? It was possible.

"No, they have a man that can be used as their personal warp gate. It was how the villains were able to get out of the USJ and Kamino when they could've been apprehended." Nezu pointed out, taking a sip of his tea. It was irritating, they had no idea what happened, or what could've happened. Only a variety of theories.

There was one last possibility though: this one was probably the one that they could figure out but it would be hard without the evidence there. Himari was targeted by the League, they moved Aiden out of the city so they could take him out and she went willing with them. Then, they used Kurogiri to warp back to wherever they were currently hiding. She could've done that willingly. Then wouldn't they have killed Aiden? This didn't add up.

"Principal, allow me to add my own substance. We don't know where they went. In fact, they cleaned up the evidence very well. We won't know where to begin with this search." He didn't think this was their style. Much less, the style of villains that just got out of a devastating loss. It wouldn't be wise to pull something off like this. Then again, he did remember one of the League members could be some warp gate. This means it would be easy for them to hide the evidence.

"You're right, we have no leads. Considering what had just happened, if the word gets out to the media that one of our counselors are missing, they will be banging at our doorstep, begging to find out the truth. Yuuei's name would be tarnished a bit for not being able to protect not only the students but one of the staff members." He knew the media would be waiting to tear down. This did seem like something Shigaraki pulled. According to the report he read when Shigaraki appeared in the mall, it was cleared that he wanted to twist the public's faith on heroes.

"What do you suggest we do?" Tsuachaki asked, wondering how on earth could they do this without tipping the public off, "People are going to start questioning where she is, especially the students. Classes start back up again in a couple of days."

"We'll have to make sure that the students believe she is on an emergency trip on family issues then. That would be the best way to approach the kids don't get alarmed. As for the investigation, we need you to keep it in peace as you can. Like I stated before, we do not need the media to get attracted. Yuuei has already had issues as it is." There's also the possibility that Himari choose to be there, and if that is the case, then he'll have no choice but to not only fire her, but have her answer for her crimes.

He really hopes that isn't the case, but his paranoia is plaguing him. It's hard to tell if that was the case, with no evidence, with no way of explaining what happened.

"What about the Takato agency? If they know Aiden hasn't returned…"

Nezu had to admit, the police officer did have a point. Especially if they needed people to question about this investigation. Had anyone been around when she went missing? Who was last in contact with her? How were they supposed to get that without word spreading like wildfire that one of his staff members disappeared?

"Machiko might find out. Although I haven't heard from her, she's bound to know I haven't told her everything." Nezu admitted, he felt bad for not telling her the truth but he had a reason not to tell her the truth. He didn't need Himari's connection to Shigaraki Tomura to spread around. While she was a capable hero, he needed to tread carefully on such a connection. Otherwise, people would look down on Yuuei as if it wasn't doing its job protecting the students. The bodyguard situation wasn't something he should've told. But he couldn't tell her the truth as to why.

"However, it wouldn't be too bad to see if she was in contact with Himari last night."

He lets out a sigh, "Although, I can't help but feel something is off in this situation, much further than it already is." It was almost as if it was too easy for him to blame the League right off the bat. Something is creeping on him and he doesn't like this feeling.

He needed some confirmation, something to ease him.

"Try to do as much as you can without tipping off the media." It didn't seem like they have much of a choice. There wasn't a reason to tell them Himari was connected to Shigaraki.

"Right, we'll have to tell Machiko it's top secret then. You have her number I assume?" Tsuchaki asked, knowing fully well that they would need to talk.

"Yes, but I have a feeling she won't be too happy about it." Nezu sighed. He really wished it didn't get this bad. He was hoping Aiden would radio for backup if he needed it.

He hoped she had heard something from Aiden as well. Any leads on this would be a step in the right direction.

"Right." Tsukachi nodded, looking at the screen that had Machiko's contact information, dialing up her number. It ranged a couple of times before the sound of line being picked up from the other side came through his ears.

"Hello?" The low voice called through the other side.

"Hey, I apologize if I'm interrupting you, Miss Hanato, but there's something I need to talk to you about." Tsukachi spoke, "It's about Aiden and Himari too."

Machiko let out a sigh through the phone, "What's going on? I wouldn't of answered the phone if it wasn't urgent." She knew there was something going on if the police officer from Kamino phoned her up. Thankfully she was in an alleyway across town, away from any of the members of the underground.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" He hoped he didn't do anything to jeopardize what she was doing.

"Not really, was doing some runs for this mission I took up. Currently away from the HQ I'm station in at the moment, but if you're talking about Aiden and Himari then I can take five." Machiko wanted to know if they were okay. She didn't need this officer dude trying to beat her around the bush.

"I'll make it brief then. No one has seen or heard from Himari or Aiden since yesterday. We were wondering…" A drop of something on the other end made him trail off, "Machiko? Are you there?"

Something in Machiko's body froze at the words he said, dropping her phone the moment she said that no one had seen Aiden or Himari. She knew she should've stopped this mission the moment Aiden was watching Himari. She thought she could trust him on this. What could've happened?

A groan escaped Machiko's voice, leaving an edge, "Are you _kidding_ me?" She picked up the phone that she dropped on the ground, sighing, "I heard you. Sorry, I'm not too happy about the situation. Nezu hasn't been dropping enough details on the assignment Aiden was on. I assume he asked you to call me about not seeing them. I haven't heard from Himari in a couple of days." She admitted trying her hardest not to lose her cool further. The anger hit her like a wrecking ball, mixed with distress and worry, "What can I do to help?"

"If you're on a mission, you shouldn't…"

This made Machiko's blood boil even further, "Listen, I can't just ignore what I just heard. If you wanted me to stay on this mission, you shouldn't even called me to begin with." Machiko let out a heavy sigh, "If you won't give me the details on how to help, I'll solve this ordeal with Aiden and Himari myself." God forbid, Nezu is gonna hear her give him an earful. What the _fuck_ was he thinking sending Aiden on a mission he didn't have all the details on? She's mad now that this happened.

"Are you there, Mister Officer?" She's boiling right now, she's angry. If either one of them were hurt or worse, she was going to tear Nezu apart.

"Miss Hanato, I know you're upset…"

"Don't beat around the bush. Where are you at? It'll probably be better if I come in person." Machiko spoke again, swallowing the lump that was building in her throat.

"Principal Nezu's office."

"It'll take me an hour to get over there. I'd call Mount Lady and Hitomi, my second in command if I were you. They might be able to give you a lead." She sighed, hanging up the phone.

God damn it, Nezu. She was annoyed. Why didn't he let her be the one to bodyguard? She understood that she wasn't really in the best of health after Kamino but she felt guilty that Aiden had to do this entire mission on his own. Why didn't she just say screw the mission and just aided him? It wasn't like she couldn't handle a full on fight?

She needed to get down there as soon as she could. She hope they would be able to find them.

 **Welp, this originally wasn't the plan at the end, but Machiko is not happy and for very good reasons. We'll find out next chapter how things go with Chisaki and Himari.**

 **Anywho, this is Reb signing off. Feel free to review the story and follow/fave**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello! Apologies again for the wait. I am switching jobs and preparing to start school back up tomorrow! Please enjoy the chapter :3**

"Come on, you have got to meet my brother, Himari-chan."

A small girl with black hair and pigtails smiled, tugging a then seven year old Tsuki Himari along by the arm.

"He wants to play hero. My dad isn't really into it, but we just lie. I do, at least. Tenko doesn't know how to cope with it, yet."

"Huh?" Himari was confused, looking at Hana as she tugged her along, "What? Why would your dad be mad?" Weren't people supposed to encourage others to be heroes? Weren't they supposed to find heroes better than just becoming a villain.

"Because he doesn't like heroes, Himari-chan. He's not a fan of them. It's against the rules for us to be heroes. That's why I tell him I want to be a bride over being a hero." She was happy that Tenko and her could hang out with Machiko and herself. She needed a breath of fresh air from the house and her father's power over it.

"Against the rules?" She blinked. Brown hues sparkling with so many questions. Why would heroes be so bad? They save people all the time, they make people smile all the time. Just look at All Might. He was always making people smile. Why was that such a bad thing?

Her eyes came into the view of a black haired little boy who was scratching his right red eye. He was sitting on the ground and look distorted, almost as if he was crying.

"Go on, Himari, work your magic." Hana gave a smile, noticing Himari's look of shock, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell anyone else." She was one of the few that knew about Himari's quirk along with Machiko.

Himari shuffled awkwardly, kicking a rock to the right of her, "But-But I…" Grandfather wasn't around to help her. She wasn't so sure if she could control her quirk without him there with her.

"Tenko, this is Himari-chan. She's a friend of mine." Hana gestured over to Himari, "I met through Machiko. She's in the class behind us."

Noticing his sad expression, Himari didn't hesitate to lean to his level offering a hand, "Hi there, it's nice to meet you, Tenko." His eyes were empty, like he had something he was suffering from. Loneliness plagued in his eyes.

He wiped away his tears, still scratching his eye, "Ah, n-nice to meet you, H-Himari-chan."

She shook his hand before helping him upwards as she stood up. She smiled, knowing that something was up with this boy the moment he looked into his eyes. He looked like he needed a friend.

Almost unconsciously, her brown eyes turned pink around the pupils, a wave of happiness flowed throw Tenko. His eyes, softening to the girl he had just met, almost as if her hand was as kind as his sister's. No, it was kinder than Hana's.

He couldn't explain this feeling, but the pink around Himari's brown eyes disappeared, and his mood, felt refreshing. Was this her power? It was so gentle.

God, he was nervous. He clenched his shorts, looking at Himari, "Ah, do-do you wanna play H-Hero, Himari-chan?"

Himari was surprised that he was warming up so quick. She gave him a smile before gesturing him to follow, "Of course."

It was at this moment, Himari knew she had to befriend Tomura.

XXXX

"I've got to admit."

A cold, detached voice made Himari break out of her trance. Why was she remembering this of all times? Her eyes darted to the Yakuza leader's back in response to him speaking. They were walking into a dark corridor that was greeted with cold steel and aged wood, providing an aura that is utterly mechanic to the average soul.

I can appreciate someone like yourself," he murmurs, lumbering down seemingly endless hallways, a labyrinth that seemingly has no end; "it's amusing, really, just how many people opt to act difficult during times like these. Cordiality is always welcome."

The trip down to Overhaul's office didn't last long. Overhaul stopped in front of a door, prying it open, showing off a spotless office. Papers were stacked neatly on his desk, relatively barren aside from the black flag hanging behind his desk. It represented the Shie Hassaikai symbol, "Shut the door when you come in." His voice called, walking towards the desk. He snatched a tissue, swiping gently at the dry blood on his cheek. He sits slowly on the chair, raising an eyebrow at the woman meters from him.

"And sit down, please." He reached his free hand out, gesturing her to the chair across from him..

A firm nod was given at his words as she started walking along with him from behind, feeling a sense of anxiety taking over her body. She is very, very, very aware that things were going to start to get worse for her. While she is aware that Overhaul wouldn't do anything to harm her, that didn't mean he would do any harm to anyone she knew. She had no idea how long his men had been tailing her, waiting for the right moment to snag her. They could know far more than she originally thought. She had no idea how much though. She had no way of indicating that.

That wasn't what she was all worried about though. If he was trying to recruit her, by anyone's normal perspective, they wouldn't think that would go very well. Himari had been long aware of her being meant for healing, not destruction. Even if the quirk she had was destructive, she, however, was not. She didn't want to hurt people, she did not want to kill, she wanted to live a normal life. Even if she took chances to train, it wasn't for destroying other people, it was for protecting others.

She wasn't really concerned about herself at that very moment. No, she was far more concerned about what will happen if she turns down his offer. He was dangerous, unpredictable at best. She didn't know what could happen, and that scared her.

His voice brings her back to reality, listening to his words. Yes, people were pretty difficult in situations like this, but it was because the human mind comes to terms about things it never thought it would experience. Trauma had such damage to the brain and people would find their brain unable to think rationally. Such things, Himari herself knew through not only experience, but through her clients as well.

When she entered the room, which she assumed was his office, she closed the door as he instructed, immediately sitting down at the seat he motioned for her to sit at.

It feels like a long time that they had been walking over to his office and yet, Himari is aware that it hasn't been that long at all. She stood in silence, waiting for Overhaul to go over what he had wanted to discuss with him.

"Allow me to be completely frank with you, Himari." His voice is simple as his handkerchief continue to swab away any splotches on his body. As much as he rather disinfect himself, this isn't the time nor the place to do so. He hadn't summoned Himari here for absolutely nothing, "You aren't particularly unknown to most people in this sector of life; I told you that much as it is; it somewhat baffles me that you expected to transition out of it with ease. Applying for Yuuei positions, no less. I don't think that's particularly a good idea for yourself, considering your history, your relationships. Coming here is a far better choice."

He pinched the handkerchief between his forefinger and thumb. He hovered over a nearby trash can, dropping the stain fabric in its confines, "A relationship formed with the leader of the League of Villains himself isn't going to grant you an opportunity to walk particular free of that lifestyle. That being said, I'm offering you a bit of protection in exchange for your own services. Consider it a quid pro quo."

The leader of the Shie Hassaski slowly sighed, dropping a hand to gently drum fingers on his desk. It was a force of habit that he had done unconsciously. He tilted his head, honey hues peered at the young woman, brows raised upwards with curiosity, fascination even, "Before anything, this is a business, you see, and entering business comes with benefits and advantages. There would be a fair amount of people sniffling down your back, should you remain out in the open like you are. An optimist may consider you bold, but in truth, you've been acting rather naively."

"Recruitment." He cleared his throat, speaking slowly, as if drilling every word into the girl's head so she could not miss a single moment of details, "does not come particularly often, no less in the facet in which you've been experiencing. You'd ought to weigh your costs and benefits. You could be very helpful to me, and likewise, I could be helpful to you."

She appreciates the blunt nature by far. It's something Himari could even respect even in times like this. However, she found that during her time of getting the job at Yuuei, that she may have some sanctuary from the hell that could always be knocking on her doorstep at any time. She had always prepared for the worst because she was one of those that were unlucky to have a quirk that they hadn't wanted to use for harm. Someone that was unlucky that she had a quirk build solely for usefulness. She hadn't forgotten the constant banging into her head she would often get from her grandfather when she was training her quirk growing up.

She was always afraid of what would happen though when something like this would happen. She had always tried her hardest to keep herself from thinking about that nightmare from happening, but no matter what she had done, it eventually came crashing on her.

Such is a cruel fate. Many people had changed and changed her perspective when she was young. About how she was a healer and not an abuser. About how she was able to mend the world with her very hands and HEAL people. Her grandparents, Natsuki, Daichi, the students. The kids' smiles they would always give that would brighten her day even at the slightest of crossing. How it always reminded her what she was doing to help this world.

However the person that truly started her to see she was able to heal not hurt was…

And then the bomb dropped the moment she was thinking of the same person. Her expression drops from being slightly tense to absolutely shocked. The very mention of Tenko makes her almost jumped out of her seat. A heavy sensation of pain came into it. He _knew?_ How? How could he have even known about that.

It was so quiet that someone could drop a pen and it would echo through the office. It felt as if she had rediscovered Tenko was alive all over again. Her heart was twisting as if someone was crushing it. She gripped her heart shaped collar in shock, trembling.

Fuck, fuck, no. This was not happening right now. He wasn't supposed to know about this. No one was supposed to know about this. How? Why?

She stops herself from trying to speak, putting two and two together. That guy she encountered earlier had been tailing her for that long? Just how much _did_ Overhaul know about her? How did one of Overhaul's lackeys able to not be detected by Tenko if that was the case?

No, it made sense to her. It did, and that was what ultimately had her was one of his higher ups. A heavy sigh fell from her lips filled with uneasiness and pure defeat.

If anything, she is absolutely terrified of declining his offer. She didn't particularly think he will take no as an answer or even let her go if he says no. She still didn't know where she was. She seen their base of operations. There would be no way, no way he'd take no for an answer. There was no way she could escape even if she tried, and she didn't have the strength

And yet, she finds herself unable to say yes at the same time. She wasn't born to kill, to hurt, to inflict pain. Even though her quirk had been unstable when she was young she had hurt multiple people, killed someone, she couldn't, she couldn't…

-Flashback-

"Himari-chan?"

A few days past as the two had been regularly playing Hero along with Hana and sometimes, she would even bring Machiko along. Tenko and Himari were both sitting next to each other on top of the hill, resting as Machiko and Hana were getting mochi for them, courtesy of Himari's grandfather.

Himari looked over at him, "What is it, Tenko?" She asked, resting her arms behind her back.

"Your quirk, it's so strong, so kind." He clenched his arms around his small legs, giving Himari a smile, "You'd be a perfect hero. You'd be able to help so much."

Himari's eyes widened, feeling her face heating up in embarrassment at the boy's words, "A-Are you s-sure, Tenko?"

"Of course I am. Father doesn't approve of heroes but you, you'll get to go above and beyond. I know it. I know your quirk isn't big, but it's so important. You could help so many people." Tenko outstretched his arms out widely, giving a bright smile to his friend. He really liked Himari. She was the first friend he ever made. The first person that outstretched their kind hand out to him.

He believed in her a lot. Way more than himself.

Himari put her knees to her chin, smiling, "Come on, Tenko, you have to come with me and be one too then." she rose to her feet, offering him her hand, "If your dad won't accept it, then he'll have to get over it. Maybe he'll change his mind?"

"I…" Tenko scratched his face once again, shaking a little, "You think...that he might?" Could that be possible? No, his father brought a negative influence to the room so strong that it felt like he was slowly suffocating. The pressure from him the moment he heard the word hero made his blood run cold and made him want to scratch and scratch at his skin even more.

"I want to b-be a hero, Himari." He was suddenly feeling a little tense, wanting so much to be away from his father, away from the pain that he feels constantly of having to hide his dreams, "Even if my dad gets mad, do you think I could still be able to become a hero?"

Himari nodded, knowing well that his dad was upset, but he had to catch on eventually. Everyone wanted to be a hero so that had to be what would happen, "He'll have to accept it eventually. He can't stop you. That's at least what Machiko tells me. She's always saying to listen to your heart. It's helped me too. If you believe you wanna be a hero, you should pursue it."

Tenko wasn't so sure if he could do that. His father was scary, he hit him often. His heart screamed to tell Himari, but he wouldn't want to put her into harm's way. He didn't want her in the direction of his father. Especially if he knew Himari was adopted by some hero teachers.

"I wish I could look ahead just like you, Himari." Tenko's small arms clenched his legs tighter, remembering the quick slap that would always hit him if he ever dared utter the word hero. His heart shakes, but he feels more at peace with her.

"Nah, I have my own insecurities too, Tenko. My quirk isn't really that nice towards other people. But you…" She fidgeted her thumbs around, "You really make me feel better about my quirk. You make me feel like I can actually help others."

Tenko's eyes widened for a second before his face softened, "I'm so glad to hear that. You really can do a lot with that quirk. A lot of help."

"I really appreciate it, Tenko." She ruffled his hair before standing up to her feet, realizing she should address the feeling she had felt from Tenko, "Tenko?"

"Yes, Himari?"

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Himari noticed Tenko's shocked expression before she put her hands up in defense, "Uh, d-don't worry, I won't pry if you're not ready. Just let me know." She needed to get going before her grandparents got worried.

-End Flashback-

No, she had to have been capable of even the slightest technique of violence if she decided she wanted to fight back. She had to be. Her knuckles turn pale with how hard she's clenching them.

"How-How, did you know about that? No one was supposed to know that." How long had he been tailing her? How long has his men been stalking her?

They must've known when her and Tenko reunited. That long? It's been over a month since that incident. Although it felt way longer than that. It felt like a year. Time felt like as if it was moving faster than she expected. Brown hues, glimmered at the realization of the fact that it had been so little time that had passed.

So it had to be more than a month right? This was bad. She didn't want to put Tenko in such a bad situation. This had to do with her being connected to him. Was he trying to spite him? What was going on?

She's faltering, faltering. She doesn't know what to do in this potion. She's screwed, trapped in a hell she wants nothing but to break out of. The flames had already trapped her, but there was nowhere to run and no place to hide.

Perhaps Overhaul WAS right. Maybe she had been acting naively? She thought with all the proper training, with the protection of Yuuei along with Aiden, she would have nothing to worry about. Why? Why didn't she prepared for this sooner? Why didn't she stand up sooner?

How could she have been so blind? How could she have never came to this conclusion? She hated this more than anything. Her heart didn't want to be used as leverage over Tenko. She knows they weren't in the best zone together but…

"Oh? Is that why the Principal of Yuuei recommended you to be bodyguard by that boy in the Takato Agency?" Overhaul's golden eyes darted at her as if he was staring into her very soul. He may, in fact, not been in rule for too long, but he's seen for practically the entirety of his life. The moment someone's spirit begins to wane, crack and fade into oblivion. He noted, personally, that such expressions can be displayed with a faltered glint of eye, tension in the eyebrow relaxing as someone recognizes the extremely unfortunate situation which they are in. It's an expression that the user has realized there is nothing they can do to salvage themselves. They are in a complete moment of utter vulnerability, of submission, and most of all, the comprehension that they are untouchable.

He has noticed all of these, especially with those that realize that they are about to die by his own hand. There's a point where acceptance appears, despite the begging, despite the defiance in their very blood, despite everything. Their molecules in their body still expand and burst at the seams as if they are no more important than anyone else. That itself was true, the power of breaking someone or killing them never discriminates.

He is unable to decipher if the break is utter bliss or utter terror. He couldn't decide or even get an idea from her. The universe holds a fine line between horror and pleasure. Even his own mind has a hard time interpreting it.

He noticed a glint in her eyes merely grow at the sight of the mention of the boy, "It was not my intention to kill the man. However, it was merely that reason of having to do it that you should further consider my offer. More and more people are bound to die if you turn down my offer. You may end up burdening other peoples' hands. With this, I expect you to choose wisely."

Was he...threatening her there? Her heart felt another strike of pain. Her knuckles, still pale that they were starting to turn slightly yellow due to the lack of blood circulation. She stopped herself from letting out a gasp of shock. Sweat dripped slightly from her forehead with all the intense pain that she was in. She was in a bad situation for sure. Either join him or something else would happen. Something worse than she ever realized. People other than Aiden could get caught in this fight, and that would break her heart if Mount Lady, Machiko, some of the other pros she knows, and even the kids could get involved in a bloodshed that had nothing to do with them.

She didn't want to commit crimes, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't try to use her resources here to her advantage. She gets there was no way out of this other than following him. It stabbed her in the heart that possibility of betraying her friends and family. There might be a possibility that she will never get out of this, but if it means keeping the others safe, then she will be okay with that. Sure, she'll miss everyone, but if they're safe, if they can keep living without another shady eye watching them, then it's okay.

She guessed that this was the revenge that she was getting for even taking pity on Tenko even though she's seen what he's done firsthand. This was also revenge for trying to find a way to break out of the shell she had been hiding in for too long.

To Overhaul's own thoughts that laid in his mind, Himari had been in neither or side of the break. In fact, she had been in both states simultaneously, as if playing a tug of war. Dark claws would be pulling her to each side during this turmoil she had been in over the last couple of weeks. Good, gentle hands try to pull her into sanctuary while the demon, dark claws, had tried to pull her into the pit of insanity and darkness, with no other way out. What kind of hero would dare help someone like her who had been torn between heaven and hell?

The answer was no one, absolutely no one. They would all hate her for this, and yet, she knows all too well she didn't want this life. She had to keep herself together, she had to. For her own sake. She carried the heaven, wanting to help people through her own sources without having to see the hellhole that was a battlefield. She was only able to fight to protect herself, had a hold of her quirk only to not lose control, not do what Tenko had seen as a mere child. The man in their presence who had pulled out a gun, dropping to his knees before three, two, one…

The night of that day still plagued her even as an adult. The blood splattering, the screams before death. Hell, the realization she had that of what her quirk could do to people. How it caused hell, made her sick to her stomach, how her old friend tried to tell her more and more that she wasn't a monster…

It took so long, so long to get out of that state. The weeks and years went by that plagued her that as a child, she killed someone indirectly. The therapy she herself went through that eventually led to her wanting to help mentally ill people like her who had to see how bad the world was.

Now, she was slowly but surely going back into that state. She was unable to anticipate what Overhaul would say if she rejected him. He was so hard to read. Probably the most impossible person to read she encounters. She couldn't tell by his last words if he had been threatening her of some sort. Paranoia clings to her like a lost child holding onto their mother begging for attention. She is unable to utter a word. Guilt, also clinging into her alongside anxiety. Instead, a stuttering yet soft voice spoke, "I-I.."

Consternation apparent in the form of a stutter, tongue-tied girl sitting before him. It is always peculiar to observe others' reactions to the truth, coping with the desolation which is tied to existence as if they were the form of soulmates. The leader's patience is one to grow beholden too. He drums his fingers on the polished rosewood desk. It is puzzling that such a girl that was so fragile was such high value. If he did not have the knowledge he did on her, he would think of her as merely a lackey. A subordinate that was never destined to fill the ranks.

The irony is tasteful; he will admit that much.

And the look of her, breaking as if she was glass. Does she truly break so easily? Is her willpower so weak? Or is reality creeping on her, constricting and suffocating what little hope she has left?

A brief note about Overhaul.

He is far too familiar with fear. It is common for him to cause it. Whether it would be the eyes of his own numbers. It is far too easy for him to sniff it out. He is aware of the consequences. He finds no meaning to remedy this fright. It is only natural for those able to comprehend the situation that they are in to submit to their fear. He could sniff it out. Like a bloodhound to its prey, smelling the pure disdain that someone had.

Dare he waste time in attempting to stifle the inevitable?

"Need I elaborate?" He sighed slowing. Thin brows, knitting with curiosity. P. Perhaps if he hadn't been previously agitated by the small scuffle mere minutes beforehand. Or had it been longer? "Should you be welcomed in by another organization, I can guarantee you'll end in a much more unfortunate situation than this; you will be, in no sense of the word, protected regardless of the prestigious institution in which you've worked in. If you aren't going to consider my bargain, however, there is a concern of confidentiality that ought to be addressed. Truth be told, I think you'd prefer not to hear how we guarantee another's reticence; As I've stated before, I advise you to choose wisely. Think it through for you won't get a second chance."

Tired eyes glanced down at the floor, unable to look at the young Yakuza leader in the eyes. She wanted, in fact, to look anywhere, anywhere other than him. Maybe she had been naive, maybe she had been stupid for resisting all of this her life, but she had wanted to treat her life as if it was her own.

Was that greedy for her? Was that truly just a sham for when everything finally toppled down? Was it true that she might've used her quiet life and her goals as an escape?

Sure, sure, everything at this very point had been for the sole reason of helping others, but the risk she had taken had been rough, paved in hell and back. She is undeniably in hell. There is no doubt about that. The road to hell had always been following her despite going above so many ways to avoid close calls.

However, it was never able to be covered, especially when she took the job at Yuuei. Oh yes, she tried to fight her way back, but she was unable to cover with the media, the media had always been on top of someone that had become a new teacher and especially with the USJ attack, they had been swarming around her like crazy and she had to avoid them.

When her encounter with Stain happened, she was having to avoid them more, but things do eventually get to the wrong people. She was hard to track down, but ultimately, in an organization like his, there was no way out.

A deep breath of air breathed in and out. She needed to make a choice and ultimately, she realized there was No way out of this mess. Her friends, Mount Lady, Natsuki, many others could be put at risk, but also, Yuuei could be completely torn down because of HER connection to Tenko. She knew it wasn't her fault, but lies alone could slaughter a place like Yuuei, and the students could be threatened.

She's sorry, she's sorry, but she isn't left with any other choice. She hopes the others will have a better life this way, and she has no doubt that it will.

"No, no." She tries to speak clearer, letting out a heavy sigh, "there isn't a need for you to elaborate, sir." She shuffled in the chair she was sitting in, "Because I've made my decision. I'll join your group."

Overhaul let out a hmm of approval in hearing her words, "A wise decision. Truth be told, I don't like having to use bloodshed. I'm a businessman, after all. I rather not lay out bloodshed unless it is necessary." Like he stated before, he didn't want to kill that boy, but if he found out they had been tailing her, he would've had no choice but to also kill the pink haired girl standing before him. That wasn't what he wanted to do. After spending months tailing her, waiting for the right moment, it would've been a waste of time.

"With this said, you should get yourself at home. The room you woke up in will be your place to stay here. Await my orders. Someone will come and get you when you're ready." He looks away from her, arms folded, "There's also some clothes my men left in the room as well as a mask like what we wear. You're to use them. Is that understood?"

"Yes." She nodded, looking away from him still before standing up from the chair she was sitting in, bowing slightly to her new leader, "By the way, can I ask something before I go? I was training with Aizawa with that umbrella weapon before. Is it okay if I continue sharpening my skills with it?" She doesn't even know if he knows where her weapon was as she didn't have it with her when she woke up here.

"Feel free to. I frankly don't expect you to get your hands dirty too often, but you can never be too prepared for the worst." He was actually surprised that she even asked that question. Already so eager to go to work, "You're dismissed from here."

XXXXX

The sudden noise of Machiko's phone ringing not even five minutes after she started running over to the principal's office in Yuuei startled her. She picked it up, stopping in her tracks before hiding in an alleyway, "Hello?"

"Machiko? This is Nezu. We have a change in plans." Nezu told her.

"Change in plans? If you're not thinking of having me help, you got another thing coming." What the hell did he think he was doing? There was no way she was backing out now. Fuck her current mission. Even if she didn't get the chance, there was still Nighteye looking into the Precepts of Death. They had someone else to get to. How the hell could she do this job when her third in command and her best friend was missing?

"That's not what I meant. Calm down."

"You wanna tell me to calm down after what you did? Not telling me all the details, putting Aiden in a bad situation where he didn't know all the details? What the _fuck_ is your…" Machiko began scolding him as Nezu spoke louder and much firmer.

"Listen." He spoke quieter, realizing he got Machiko's attention, "getting mad at me right now will not help the situation. I understand I haven't been honest with you, Machiko, but we need to focus on the here and now. You can get mad at me and yell at me all you want, but there's a lot to be done here. We have an advantage with you disguising yourself in the underground. I don't know if you'll get any information, but we could use a spy in the underground, especially since we still don't have the evidence of where Aiden and Himari went."

"So you're telling me you want to get to the bottom of this?" Machiko's eyebrows rose in affirmation, "Why didn't you just say that earlier?" Silence was heard on the other end before she sighed, "Sorry, that was my fault, but I'll see what I can do. If I get some links on the League, I'll give you a shout, but it'll have to be when I'm away from HQ."

Machiko sighed, ending the call after. What the hell had she gotten herself into here? If anything, this going to her hands was a much better situation. If the League thought they were gonna be able to hide after they did what they did, they had another thing coming.

Either way, whoever decided to do this whether it was the League or some other bigshots, they had another thing coming.

 **Some art for your needs.**

 **Himari with her umbrella weapon: 66. media. tumblr a71d3c385571548c605b4ac0208dbf56/ f4a769feda884095 -b1/ s500x750/ 93ae0e07829d030642db928d1fe653fe6efa724d .png**

 **Himari in her future Yakuza uniform (paired with her old outfit before one of my buddies redesigned her): 66 .media .tumblr bc6e95939134f4a1349dcafa27582a13 / tumblr _ inline _ plyfxstJgF1uy7g78_500 . png**

 **Himari, Tomura, and Machiko as kids. (Note: this was before Tomura's backstory was revealed and such): 66 .media . tumblr 538714ac0dbbb278f0b025afa13c61c8 /5a623edbaf12d4bd-a3 /s500x750 /4b8e2a9fcbbd72459cd703b2f5c7664c2bfc199b .png**

 **Remember to move spaces to view! Anyways, I'll try to update when I can. School is gonna keep me busy and I'm working two jobs for at least two weeks! I'll stay on top of my game. Don't worry I'm eager to get us to when Himari and Tomura will cross paths again :3**

 **Feel free to review/follow/fave**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey all! So sorry for the late wait. It's been a hell of a semester for me and a hell of a year. Here's to hoping I can update more frequently since the end of the semester is almost here. Disclaimer BNHA belongs to Horikoshi, not me. I only own my OCs.**

It was the first day back for the students. They had can days to prepare for the license exam before school resumed. Izuku was hoping that Miss Tsuki would be around so he could talk with her. He also wanted to sharpen up the last bit of his notes for the exam as well. After all, he needed to be precise if he wanted to pass. He couldn't break his arms as he did in the summer camp.

It was weird though. Why would Himari have a family emergency after a few days after Kamino? Didn't the importance of the students hinder that? Last time he checked, she didn't seem like the kind of person to just up and leave.

Maybe he had been overthinking it, but he didn't think Himari would be gone this long, especially not without checking on all of them. She never seemed like the rushed type.

Coming into the view of Miss Tsuki's office, he saw two people within his view: Todoroki and Iida.

"Izuku?" Shouto looked over to see the boy walking over to the office.

"Oh? I didn't expect you two to be here." Izuku paced himself a little faster, moving to where his friends stood.

"I wanted to talk to Miss Tsuki about some things. Although it seems like she's still hadn't come back yet." Shouto started at the closed and darkroom that was E-Schemer's office.

"It's getting troublesome." Iida put a hand to his own chin, "Miss Tsuki doesn't seem like the person to just up and leave. Even though we knew she might not be back today, it still feels off that she still hasn't come back then."

Shouto and Izuku nodded at his words, "Yeah, that's what I was thinking on the way here. I don't want to seem like I'm being paranoid, but if you guys are worried too…"

Especially since he and Shouto witnessed what happened in the forest with her. The villains were after her. Could they have tried to get her a second time? And the school was trying to cover it?

"Yeah, I haven't forgotten about what happened when the villains kidnapped Bakugou. One of them had Himari until we stopped them." Shouto pointed out, remembering the sensation of what happened, "It's weird, why did the villains target her? Out of all the pros that they could have taken, why her?"

Izuku frowned, "Yeah, I was thinking the same. Miss Tsuki doesn't have the battle skills that the other pros do. If they picked anyone, why her?"

"Now that you mention it, I was wondering why Aizawa sensei was training her before we went off to the camp. Something isn't adding up, I assumed it was because she was one of the pros at the mall and she was upset she couldn't stop what happened to, but now that I have the knowledge that I do, something isn't adding up here."

"She didn't seem the kind of person that liked to get her hands dirty." Shouto nodded at Iida's words, "Although I can't say it doesn't add up after hearing about what you two know.." Miss Tsuki was pretty private about her life.

Then, it hit him. She mentioned that she was trying to fight for someone too from their last meeting. Was someone she knew in the League? Was that someone the guy who grabbed Bakugou? The one that was holding her when they encountered him? The fire guy.

Was it him? It had to be. Why on earth would Shigaraki target her without letting the others know? It didn't add up. What did this even mean? According to what they know, Himari was exempt from the list as she had been added at the last second.

"She has to have a past with someone on the group then. My guess it was the blue guy. He was pretty mad."

"Blue guy? You mean the jerk that tried to grab me and sucked me in with that mist freak?"

Turning, the three look to see Bakugou standing there. Hands, resting across his chest, "Now, out of the way. I need to see E-Schemer."

"She's still not back, Kaa-chan." Izuku told him while Bakugou banged on the door anyways.

"What? What do you mean she's not? Out of all the times I actually wanted to talk with her with something, she's not here?" Bakugou groaned. He didn't know what's going on, but it was awfully odd for E-Schemer to take longer than she said.

"Are you meaning to make yourselves late?" Aizawa's voice rang as he approached the three, noticing where they had been standing at. The office where Himari would always do her work, "You must all be worried about her."

"I'm not worried about her? What the hell are you talking about?" Bakugou growled as Aizawa rolled his eyes.

"It's natural, she's taken longer than expected. Principal Nezu said she was on the phone with him yesterday and might not be back for a couple of weeks. If you want to speak to a counselor, you'll have to speak with Hound Dog. He's the one taking over her work until she comes back."

"How long do you think she'll be?" Deku asked, "I had so much that I wanted to talk about."

"She'll be gone indefinitely. As for the details, I didn't take time to pry on it. All I know that she had some family issues. Now, you all better get to class." And with this, Aizawa left.

As he watched Bakugou and Shoto leave, Deku wasn't sure if that was true. Something just felt off with the situation. He hoped that E-Schemer was okay. He'd hope she was gonna be okay if she wasn't. He'll have to wait to tell her about everything after the exam. Maybe she'll be back before that?

Well, he had at least hope. He had gotten attached to her. He saw how much she cared for everyone in Yuuei and outside of it. He swallowed the worry out of him, knowing that E-Schemer wouldn't want him down because of her.

 **XXXXX**

"Move!"

Gunfire roared in the alleyway, causing the birds of the Precepts ducked behind a giant dumpster. They were taking cover of a deal going horribly wrong.

An absence of hope was what made the atmosphere so dense. The sound of the bullets and screaming indicated there would be no more negotiations.

And for Tsuki Himari, who was among them, it was something that made her worried, but at the same time, itching to do more. It had been ten days since she started in the Yakuza and she had been training with some of the other members followed by her own. She used the hour she had of free time outside to read or hone her skills in private. However, even when she had to be in the base, she was still working herself hard, nearly to the point where she would crash.

However, this had been her first real frontal battle since being forced to join the Yakuza.

She knew couldn't try to fight back here. She was pinned down, still not knowing how much her umbrella could handle with the shield feature yet. Not to mention it would be pretty bad if they just came out head on.

Suddenly, one of the hooded figures jumped on the latter above. The men in black opened fired at her but she was too fast. She jumped off of the metal, skillfully avoiding the barrage of bullets. Purple hues narrowed behind her hood. From her waist, she pulled out two pairs of pistols. She opened fire. She slid to the left wall in the alleyway. Once she got to the closest one, she lashed out, kicking one of them in the face. The impact was strong enough to knock him into the other four men that were trying to fire guns that bled air. They had no ammo left.

 _Whoa, she wasn't bad_. Himari couldn't help but stare in awe as she was able to take them out. She thought most of them here didn't have much battle experience. However, this person surprised her.

"Alright, let's fall back." The gruff female voice muffled through plague doctor mask she wore, "We'll have to report what happened." She returned her guns to her waist. After this, she adjusted her black leather gloves.

One of the people next to Himari stared at the woman, pointing a finger, "Hey, why didn't you do that earlier?"

"Didn't expect them to give us a problem." The girl responded with a heavy sigh, "but it's done now. The rest of you should be grateful you're all still alive." She rested a hand on her hip before walking past the crowd.

A hand touched Himari's shoulder the moment she crossed paths with her, "You look shocked. New around here?"

Something wasn't right here. Why does she sound familiar? That wasn't a good thing. It wasn't the guy from before with Aiden that night. She knew it wasn't someone with that kind of build. Who was she then? Why does she sound so familiar to her?

"Kind of ironic, I thought I was expecting you to jump in. You had the fire for it." A chuckle escaped her lips.

The hand was taken off her shoulder. Himari blinking at the woman's words as everyone started heading out.

Had it been someone she knew? No, she hadn't really knew anymore around here. She barely knew anyone's name here aside from Overhaul and Chronostasis. She's seen some of the expendables, but not many of them.

She knew though there was something familiar with this woman, and she wasn't entirely sure what it was. That made her want to find out why she felt so recognizable.

"Hey, wait!" Himari exclaimed, wanting to know why the woman looked so recognizable to her.

The woman turned. Her index finger, rising, "We'll have to wait till after our report to talk. Wouldn't want Overhaul to get angry at late paperwork. Say why don't you meet me a couple of blocks out from the Precepts? Don't worry, this map will show you the way." She tossed it at her, winking, "I hope to see you then after your done with your report."

XXXX

After filling out a report of what happened on her end, a couple of hours had passed and Himari decided that her curiosity was something she should follow. Her foot, tapping on the ground. Brown hues, looking slightly focused. She was eying her surroundings. The run down buildings, the odd sense of silence and not hearing any other members around. That girl said she would be here after she filled her report to Mimic.

She wondered just why she felt some kind of feeling towards her? No one had really walked up to her like that before. And fire? What kind of fire was she talking about? Did she notice that Himari was trying to plan something? How was she able to tell?

Then again, these people live and walk the underground like it was nothing and even though. She had been here for more than a week, she still wasn't comfortable about it. She doesn't think she would be able to feel comfortable here at all. It was too dark, too deafening to any sane person's soul. To _her_ soul.

She crossed her arms across her chest, wondering if the woman would even show up. She also wondered since she's been in the underground if there's a possibility that she might run into Tenko. She doesn't know if she can make the decision yet. She can't leave the Precepts or she'll risk Yuuei's reputation and despite everything that she might do here, she's still not ready to say goodbye to them.

She was probably gonna get thrown in jail if the Precepts were ever thrown down anyways. Willing or not, she's still tarnishing blood here.

The only good thing out of this is that she might see Tenko again. She wanted to see him, despite their differences, despite everything. They had a lot of differences but seeing her old friend possibly made things slightly bearable.

She checked the time on her watch, realizing there was a shadow on the ground, making way until the figure was out of the shadows.

It was the girl from before.

"Yo, I had a feeling that you would arrive here." She smiled. Her voice still sounded familiar. Himari still can't figure out why exactly she felt this way.

Himari gave a nervous wave as the girl took a step forward, "Hana used to say that you never ignored a familiar hand."

Hana?

Himari's eyes widened, realizing who it was instantly.

"M-Machi-"

A tan hand touched her lips, "Shhh, keep that low! We never know who's listening." She took the hand off. She wanted to wrap her hands around her, but she couldn't get too suspicious. If she blew her cover here, she would be risking her life big time. She might not get another chance to save her.

Himari couldn't bring herself to move, keeping her eyes glued to her.

She shouldn't talk to her. Does she even know what happened to Aiden? She had to know. What was she doing here anyways? She shouldn't be _here_.

Himari's own existence kept making this worse. Why do people feel the need to save her? Why do people go out of their way knowing that she herself just causes harm? She keeps burdening other people around her, she keeps getting people hurt. So why do they keep running to her like this? Why does she keep clinging onto the smallest spec of hope? Nothing would be the same again since being brought here. Nothing would. They would never forgive her for this. Machiko wouldn't forgive her for what happened to Aiden.

She couldn't face her.

She took a step back, "No...you shouldn't be here…" She was trying not to cry. There is a hole in her chest that felt hollow. She cannot break out of this. She doesn't want other people dying because of her. She doesn't. One person was bad enough. Please, no.

Machiko's eyes looked confused, trying to figure out what exactly happened to Himari. Why was she here? She needed to know.

She didn't expect some other villain organization to take her in. She's known for about a day or two but only now got the courage to confront her. Finally had the time to cross paths.

She needed to know what happened. She can tell Himari's scared so she doubted it was willingly.

"Please, leave me alone." Himari was hugging herself and her brown eyes had pink hues glowing around her pupils, activating her quirk.

"Himari…" Machiko's emotions were changing trying to make her just go about her business.

She's trying to stop her from getting close.

"JUST STOP!" Himari screamed as Machiko's head suddenly began to ache, stumbling back, "Please, just stop. Don't come near me." She's dangerous, she's too dangerous for people to be around anymore.

She's very shaken. Machiko doubted Himari would use her quirk against her, but she can tell she's scared, terrified. She couldn't talk about anything outside of Overhaul's group here. He would find out, he would know. She would die if he found out she was here…

Machiko took a couple of steps back, "I understand, you're shaken." She wanted to help her, but she knew just a small time in this place had already made her scared. Did something happen? What happened? What made her not want to see her? Is it because she was threatened?

She didn't see any other reason why Himari would be here other than that.

"I don't want to hurt you." She told her softly, "I want to talk to you, but we don't have much time. I have another mission in about an hour and I'm set to leave in about twenty. I just wanted to see you." She wants to help her. Why was she so freaked out?

She doesn't know, she doesn't know that Aiden died because of Himari. She doesn't know he's dead. She must've been in here for a bit then.

"I…" She tried to speak up, but she was unable to. She didn't want Overhaul killing her too. She should go home. She wasn't worth the bloodshed. One person already had to die because of her.

"Is there something going on?"

Turning, the two spotted a man walking towards them.

"No, sorry, it's nothing." Machiko lowered her arms, "She's just still adjusting to things. She's still a bit emotional after what happened."

The man's eyes narrowed in response to that, scanning the two. You could never be too careful, after all. He noticed that there had been some tension when he was passing by.

"New recruit, right?' He shrugged his broad shoulders, letting out a sigh, "Normal then, you'll have to excuse me, but you two should get back to work."

And then he turns around and leaves.

Himari and Machiko both let out sighs of relief, turning to look at each other.

"Please, if you feel comfortable. My route ends tomorrow afternoon. Come meet up with me for a bit. We can meet here again and we can talk." Perhaps they might be paired for tomorrow again. One could hope.

Himari doesn't say anything, she just stares at her as she walks away, back into her own quarters.

It was a long walk back to her room, throwing her mask off the moment she walked into the room and threw herself onto the bed.

She was tired. Machiko was here though. Was she trying to save her? Did they already figure out what happened to her?

This would only make things worse. Machiko didn't know Tenko was alive and Overhaul had the information to connect it if he did some research. Machiko could die here, and Yuuei could be tarnished for her own input of knowing Machiko. She would be seen as a traitor. Overhaul would probably kill her for it.

She wasn't sure if she should do it. She's done enough harm as it was. She just needed to accept it, right?

Then why does she want to go meet with Machiko? Why does she want to keep doing the thing that keeps getting everyone killed? Why was she being selfish? Why doesn't she accept it? Why was she being stubborn about this?

Why was she clinging onto reality so much? Hadn't she made people suffer enough?

She wants to go. She wants to make amends, but she knows she won't be the same. Not after…

She just wants to rest. She's so exhausted.

XXXX

The next day came in quickly as they had a much better time of handling this. It ended rather quickly, much quicker than Himari expected. She had to do the report this time, and it was her first time doing it. She was still really nervous despite always being through with her notes.

Still, she couldn't get the meeting with Machiko that was coming up later out of her head. She had a lot of restrictions considering what had happened, but she was allowed some time outside. Just not long.

She wanted to get herself out of this. She didn't understand why. Why exactly should she want hope if it's all gonna crash again? Did Machiko know what she was doing getting herself involved in this? Alone? Was she stupid? Was she nuts? She was going to get herself killed.

Perhaps she should just go to try to convince Machiko it wasn't worth her life over? That sounded the best option when she was done with this. She had no patrol duties or anything after.

She reached the Shie Hassaski's door before knocking on it, hearing a dry voice stating to come in. She opened the door, revealing Overhaul with a...

Little girl?

"Ah, sir," She shuffled, taking a step back after realizing someone else was here. What was a child doing here? What was going on? "Sorry, I hope I wasn't interrupting something."

"It's fine." Overhaul's dry voice told her before gesturing to Eri, "I was actually hoping to get the both of you acquainted." Himari had some part of her that might get attached to the girl, making her much easier to handle.

Himari kneeled to the girl's level as she instantly noticed the timid nature of the girl. There were bandages around her arms and legs. It made Himari's eyes light up slightly in suspicion.

What exactly were they doing to her? Overhaul didn't seem like the kind of person to be attached to anything other than his goals. These bandages weren't for decoration though. That much, she knew.

She let a hand out to the girl as her red eyes shut, backing away from Himari. She tried to smile at her to help, but she could tell something wasn't right here.

"This is Eri." Overhaul spoke, snapping Himari out of her thoughts, "she's my daughter."

Daughter? Himari's eyebrows rose in confusion, wondering if that was actually his daughter. They certainly didn't look alike. Was he lying to her? Why would he lie to her? Was it to avoid some conflict? He had all the cards at his disposal. She couldn't do anything even if she knew the details.

"Eri, this is Himari. She will be meeting with you daily from this point on." He glanced at Himari, "Your goal is to establish a familiar relationship with her. It'll be at this exact time. Every time you bring back cargo paperwork, I'll be giving her to you for about twenty minutes a day. You only need to act natural to her." Overhaul knew that he might be disgusted with someone of Himari's naivety. However, that nature of hers was good to use, especially to Eri. She could control her emotions much better than he could. She could make her much easier to use.

Act natural? What was the intent? Better yet, what exactly was he doing lying to her here? He has all the cards against her. If she stepped even a moment out of line, he could bring her entire world down with a snap of his fingers.

It's better not to bring it up. She doesn't want any trouble. It was better to keep her conflicts to a minimum.

"I'll ask you to keep me in touch with your meetings weekly. You have a powerful ability, Himari, it's useful for this kind of thing." He adjusted his white gloves. Gold hues, narrowing at her, "Any questions?"

Himari pointed her right index finger up, "Just one, sir. Why exactly do you need me to establish a connection with this girl?" She thought it might not hurt to ask this question.

"We have a mission to carry out." More like he did. He needed Eri to corporate, and she's massively been rebellious lately. She kept burdening his hands, making him cleanse more and more people that had the unfortunate nature of crossing paths with her. He's tired of this constant fighting. With Himari's quirk, she would make things easier.

"Eri is an important part of my piece. She is the way that I'll be able to cleanse the world." To empathize with his words, he pulled out a part of the quirk destroying bullet. It was a prototype that only destroyed the quirk temporarily, but he was getting results, "This is a very important task I'm having you do. I highly doubt you'll have a problem." He tapped Eri on the shoulder, gesturing her it was time to go, "Let's get back to your room. You'll be talking to Himari again tomorrow."

And with that, he left.

Himari didn't know how to make much out of the scene, but she could tell Overhaul had done something to this girl. The moment she looked into her cold, dead red eyes, she knew that there was something going on. She knew that detached stare, that hopeless look dancing in her small, frail body.

It was the exact look that Tenko had when they were kids.

There was something in her that wanted to do something, but how could she? How could she do anything? Especially since Overhaul blackmailed her so much. If she tried to help her, she would probably die. She didn't have the skills to take on the entire Precepts on her own. She wouldn't live, and Eri would probably be taken back into hell.

She knew Eri was being abused. There was a furry in her chest that she rarely ever had. She can feel her anger rising. Not many things could get her angry. Overhaul just showed her a broken, battered girl with bandages on her...

Was he experimenting on her?

She could not let the rage out that was bellowing in her body. He did that to a _child_? A girl who was probably around Daichi's age?

The meeting that was about to happen with Machiko came into her mind. She knew she had at least had somewhat of a reason to go there. Machiko was still an outsider, and they could save Eri.

If she was going to make up for being responsible for Aiden's death, this had to be her redemption. She couldn't let this chance slip away. She had to do something. She needed to try to make this girl smile during their meetings, make her happy.

She had to do this one thing right.

XXXX

It was about time for her and Machiko to meet and she found herself outside from where they were yesterday. She kept herself looking for Machiko.

Machiko had stepped out of the alleyway, still in her Yakuza disguise. She looked over to Himari as her purple eyes lit up that she had actually showed up. Had she had a change of heart? Or did she want to stay?

Her heart nearly ripped out the moment she had used her quirk against her, but she knew she was distressed. She knew she had been going through a lot but she really needed to know just what the hell happened. How did she end up here?

She wasn't even supposed to be investigating this. She was here originally to get information on Overhaul's group. She didn't expect to see Himari of all people in the Precepts.

It boiled her blood the moment she saw her. She wanted to tear Overhaul apart for daring to mess with her childhood friend. It made her blood boil, it made her…

"Chiko?"

Himari's voice startled her, turning over to look at her, "S-Sorry, you scared me."

Himari frowned, almost feeling tears welling up in her eyes, wrapping her arms around Machiko's waist, burying her face in her chest, "I'm sorry…"

"What are you apologizing for?" Machiko wondered, looking down at Himari, patting her back.

"It's my fault…"

"This? No, no, no, you didn't get in here willingly, there's still something we can…" Machiko was cut off by Himari's whiny and broken voice.

"That's not what I mean!" Himari shouted, "Aiden, I…"

Machiko's eyes widened in realization, connecting the dots. Himari was supposed to be under Aiden's surveillance. If she's apologizing for Aiden, that must mean…

He isn't alive anymore.

Machiko's heart twisted at the realization. A storm of sadness clung into her body, coursing through every vein in her body. She's feeling anger straight at the tip of her brain. Part of her also doesn't want to believe that Aiden was dead, but Himari was crying over him here, begging her to forgive her over this.

She's at a loss for words. She doesn't know how to respond to this. She couldn't let out the bane of emotions plaguing her. This wasn't the time, nor the place, and in all seriousness, Hanato Machiko felt weak, and she _hated_ feeling weak.

"I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, he died because of…"

She should've done more.

Overhaul, that scheming son of a...

"Stop, this isn't your fault." Machiko grabbed Himari by the shoulders, forcing her to look at her. Seeing the red in her eyes and tears trickling down her face, "If it's anyone's fault, it's Overhaul's. You didn't do this. You didn't give the order out to kill Aiden. You're a girl who has a powerful quirk, a useful one." Machiko narrowed her eyes, "but this entire situation still feels off to me. There's something more to this."

Himari swallowed, "I…"

She needs to tell her. She deserves to know. She was there. She saw how Tenko was. She knew him. Maybe not as much as she did, but…

"Well, you remember Tenko right?" Himari asked as Machiko's eyebrows rose in confusion.

"Tenko? What does this have to do with…"

Wait.

All for One said she needed to live for some reason. To see someone…

Was he talking about Tenko?

"Tenko? You mean he's alive?" He was among the dead. She remembers her parents talking about that growing up. Did this mean?

"He's Tomura now. He calls himself that. He's the leader of the League, Machiko."

No, this wasn't…

She should've done more, damn it. Why did she not hung out with him and Himari more? Maybe she could've stopped it?

How did he become a villain? Did All for One take advantage of him? What was he doing running a villain syndicate?

Was it because she failed?

The sudden shock from Machiko's eyes made Himari realize that she was in a state of shock. Who could blame her? First her crush dies, then she finds out one of her childhood friends is a villain?

What the fuck?

"I'm sure we can…" Himari began, snapping Machiko out of her shock.

"No." She spoke out loud, knowing what she saw through the footage of Tenko, seeing what he had done. The USJ attack, the Nomu incident with Stain, the summer camp he planned all the while, and Kamino…

She had to face facts, he's probably too far gone at this point. Better yet, how did Himari know that he was still running around? That Tomura was Tenko?

"How did you find out?" Machiko asked, deciding to bring up that he's probably too far gone.

"I ran into him, during the mall incident he was a part of." Himari fidgeted, realizing that Machiko might've thought that Tenko was too far gone. Just like Nezu thought he was too far gone, but she couldn't know that for sure. Not until she had at least attempted to try, "He says he wanted to see me reach a decision between the heroes and the villains."

He's trying to make her choose between the heroes and the villains? What kind of abusive bullshit was this?

No, this is not happening. He's not going to suffocate her. She wouldn't allow it. She wasn't going to let him do that.

All the while, she was blaming herself for not being able to stop him from becoming a villain. HImari probably wouldn't be in the situation she's in right now. She would be safe.

What the _fuck_ , Tenko?

"He's trying to turn you against us." He doesn't care, or does he? She's not sure, but it seemed like he was using both. Life wasn't all black and white after all, and she knew it. She's seen the underground. She's seen how people can take just one bad day and just go down the wrong path. She wants to think the black and white way though deep down. She doesn't want him dragging Himari into whatever he was planning. It wasn't going to end well. For her especially.

"I don't know that for sure…" Himari knew Machiko was going to get mad at her, but what else was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to know if Tenko was turning her against the others. She wanted so desperately to have both, but she couldn't have that.

Why did this have to be so difficult?

"Himari, you know Tenko has changed. You cannot let him cloud what you want." Machiko wasn't mad at her, she was mad at the situation. She was mad that she didn't do enough as a kid. She was mad that things had to be this way. She was mad Tenko was _manipulating_ Himari. He was using how close they were as kids and how much he impacted her as a _weapon._

It made her sick to her entire stomach. She can't fall into his trap.

"You cannot let your past with him cloud what you want."

"I don't have a future though. Not as long as I have the history I do with _him_ , not when I have this curse bearing down on me…" Himari took a step back, putting her hands up in defense.

But Eri still had a chance. Himari didn't but Eri…

Machiko realized what exactly Himari meant when she said cursed. She meant that quirk of hers, "You…"

"Forget about me, I need to tell you about this before." The time limit? How much time did she have left? She checked the time. She only had eight minutes left, "before the time limit ends with me. It's about Overhaul, he has a girl, and she's…"

Machiko was no stranger to what many people were exposed to in the underground, including children…

"She's getting used. There's no doubt about that. She's important to Overhaul. I think she's making the bullets with her quirk." Himari kept explaining rather fast. She needed to get back to the base or she was gonna get in some massive trouble.

 _This too?_ Machiko groaned, _For fuck's sake._

"Look, I don't have much time left, but seeing that girl's broken red eyes, her frail body, her shaky nature…" Himari's fists clenched tightly, gritting her teeth, "I couldn't help but be irritated, angry. I don't know if I will have a good future, but if there's one thing I want to do, it's this." She put a hand over her heart, "I want to figure out a way to at least make sure she has something to look forward too. Tenko had the same look when we were kids. If I let her go too, I won't forgive myself ever."

Even if it killed her, this had to be what she had to do. She doesn't want Eri to suffer like this. Not anymore.

Machiko narrowed her eyes, nodding. She was happy Himari trusted her with all of this. She was glad she was making progress but…

She's not leaving the Precepts until she saves both of them. She can take the heat later, but Machiko understands what she needs to do as she continues to stay in the Precepts in disguise.

She needs Himari to get close to Eri, and she needs to make sure she can occupy a plan without tipping off Overhaul before it can happen. She still has an open time to be outside the base. Unlike Himari.

She had to use that spare time wisely.

Himari was walking away but Machiko spoke, "Keep meeting me outside of the base every couple of days. How much is your time limit?"

"One hour."

She can work with that, "By the way Mari, call me Era from here on out. It was the name I used when I was working overseas."

XXXX

-A few days later-

Himari had done her daily duty along meeting with Eri. The interaction was short but she could tell Eri was trying to talk with her, or at least there was some kind of connection. The trick is, would they get the time to do this before Overhaul gets suspicious of the both of them?

She felt frustrated but she expected Eri not to be attached to her at first. She still wasn't really attached to her, but she needed to break the barriers down. She needed to get her attached without Overhaul's plan coming to fruition.

She was frankly tired, and she knew she had to keep herself looking proper by using her quirk or else, Overhaul would be suspicious.

Machiko and Himari took the small time during Himari's one hour limit time to be out in the outside world. They trained, they moved locations and brainstormed together, and they were doing better.

Still, Himari couldn't help but feel this guilt building in her stomach that she might do wrong, but she couldn't show it. She couldn't risk it.

She arrived at the Shie Hassaki office Overhaul was usually in, knocking on the door, "Overhaul?" She spoke, "I have the paperwork you needed."

"Perfect, come in."

Himari opened the door, not noticing the other people in the room at first, "I was just taking extra time to add to my…"

Then it hit her, who was in the room…

"Himari?" A familiar, gravely voice spoke at the couch. Red hues under a rotten hand looked at her. An edge to his voice.

It was Tenko.

"Tenko?" She gasped out, almost dropping the notes that were in her hands. Brown eyes, widening in shock.

He was here? What for? What was happening?

Their reunion had came much faster. On both sides.

 **Sorry for the cliffy after that late update! But hey, Tomura and Himari are finally meeting each other again! I wonder what will happen :3**

 **The next chapter should be up within two weeks. It'll be a reward for myself after getting through a lot of my mental health! Till then, catch you later :3**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey everyone! Happy New Year! I'll be saying it despite me being seven hours away from hitting the new year! I wasn't gonna not update before the new year so here you go! Enjoy.**

"Himari?"

Tomura Shigaraki's voice was hollow, edged with rage. What was _she_ doing here? She wasn't supposed to be here.

His head tilted over to Overhaul who gestures at Himari, beckoning her to come forward, "Don't be shy now. Didn't you want to see him? I'm giving you something that you wanted."

What the fuck?

A hand reached at Tomura's neck, itching at the scarred flesh. A rage bellowed in his throat. What the fuck? She's not supposed to be around here. She's supposed to be with those damn heroes.

Was there a change in her? No, she couldn't of gone to _Overhaul_ over him if she wanted to walk the path of a villain. Besides, she wouldn't forget all that they had as children. It was still rather hazy to remember it all, but she was one of the only things he remembered from his past. He doesn't remember his family, he doesn't remember anyone other than her and All for One. Everything was still a blur to him.

He knew one thing though, he was overwhelmingly angry at this bird bastard. First, he kills Magne, then he destroys Compress's arm, and now he has the person he was determined to bring back to his side.

The nerve. Who the hell did he think he was? Going around and ruining everything he had? It was bad enough All Might took his master away and even his childhood friend.

He's lucky he can't off him. At least, not yet anyway. He would do it in time. He just had to throw his suspicions off as much as possible.

He watched as Himari took a couple of steps forward, rather hesitant. Why was she so indecisive? Why was she so nervous? So on edge? Granted, Himari was always like that, but this was different.

He needed to talk to her, away from Overhaul. He wanted answers.

But he wasn't sure he'd get that chance with Overhaul running around. He's not sure what's going on but he could tell this wasn't willingly. Sure, call him a hypocrite if he was never going to let Himari choose the heroes over him. Tomura was at least being polite.

His red eyes and outlook remained relaxed, despite the fury that was building in his slim body, looking at Himari, "What are you talking about, Overhaul?"

"Come now, you don't think your old friend wouldn't want to see you after a long time." Overhaul flipped a hand, noticing Tomura's anger and shock mixed together, "There's no need to be furious with me. I have no intention of hurting her. She's merely making herself useful. She was such a useless card in Yuuei. People like her, with that power, are much better off in the hands of someone like me. You could just thank me really from getting her away from the heroes. She's much better off here."

No, she's not. She's better off with _him_. He resisted the urge to continue clawing at his itchy neck. Red eyes, narrowing, trying to shake him off the shock that he knew. This bastard figured out she was connected to him? How? She couldn't have told him. She hardly looked happy to be here.

He forces himself back down on the chair, glancing at Himari, who swallowed. She had been silent for the entire time.

They had business to continue to discuss. He highly doubted Overhaul would hand her over to him, but he's getting her out of here eventually. That has already been determined.

He wasn't going to let her stay here. That's for sure.

"You're telling me she picked your side over mine?" Tomura scoffed, "How ridiculous." She knows better than that.

Suddenly, a pistol was shoved into the back of his head, throwing him off guard, "You sure think you can call the shots here, don't you?"

Some weird muppet popped up as well. Tomura's eyes darted to the hooded Yakuza that dared to point his gun at him. He was trying to negotiate. Why are they trying to make this difficult?

He heard Himari gasped in shock at the exchange, but there was no need to worry. He said he was going to make do with this for now, but these bastards weren't going to get that unless they worked with him.

"Who do you think you are, little punk?" The muppet demanded.

"Funny, I was going to say the same to you. Do you think your half baked Yakuza expendables are worth as much as our previous member? That along with the arm you took from Compress?" Tomura clenched a fist, "We either need a negotiation or this is a no go."

Tomura noticed that Himari was about to speak up, but Overhaul raised a hand to silence her, looking back at the other two, "Chrono, Mimic, calm down." He motioned Himari to come near him. Tomura watched as she handed him a piece of paper with detailed notes from the looks of it.

When Chrono and Mimic backed down, Tomura took the opportunity to pull out the bullet that Compress was hit by in their exchange, "This has something to do with it, didn't it? Your plan or whatever. Just what exactly are you going to do?"

"I'm going to destroy justice." Overhaul's golden hues narrowed firmly, "They said All for One had the power to take quirks and that's what made him be an unstoppable force. Think of it like that but changing it up a bit."

"I see." Tomura realized what exactly he meant. If Compress wasn't able to use his quirk, it meant one thing…

He was trying to stop quirks. But how could he get this ability to do so? Had there been something he had been using? A quirk to regulate that?

But how did Himari come into all of this? It doesn't make sense to him. How does someone like her get involved in all of this? Did Overhaul seriously think that he could use her against him? No, he needed more than that reason to snag her.

"That convincing enough?" Overhaul asked him as Tomura sat upwards.

He had to think about this. He knows it wasn't willing. Himari wouldn't go to the likes of him without a reason and that included if she was forced. Himari is still standing here that was slightly irking him. If she was here against her will, why would Overhaul want her to know about this? Is she waiting for something? An order? Wouldn't he not trust her to hear such vital information? Or is Overhaul trying to test him?

This was becoming a headache. It would be so much easier to just ask her. However, he wasn't sure if Overhaul would let her answer. If she was important, then he doubted that there was anything he could do here. He couldn't risk lowering his numbers any further. He would have to figure a way out to confronting her without tipping Overhaul off, but that might end up being a hassle as well.

Why was this so damn difficult?

"Perhaps our goals are quite similar here." Tomura crossed his arms across his chest. Not even a single word out of Himari huh? Perhaps she too is hesitant to speak to him at the moment?

"I do have a few demands of my own." Overhaul straighten his posture in his chair, "Considering you have people that could be quite useful in your group, I will ask for Toga, Twice, and Kurogiri."

"Forget Kurogiri. There's no way I'm going to give him away."

As the conversation went on, Tomura and Overhaul had come to an agreement on the deal. Overhaul would use Toga and Twice for the base and Tomura would be getting something out of it.

He left the base slightly satisfied, but he wouldn't be fully satisfied until that bastard Overhaul got his just deserts.

As he walked past Himari, his shoulder bumped with her as she was unable to get out of his way. Patience, patience, he told himself. His time would eventually open up to take action on her. He would always value his goals far over her anyways. She's not that important. Won't ever be that important.

XXXX

Himari looked like she had seen a ghost.

She was honestly shocked that it was this easy for them to cross paths again. In fact, it was hard for her to even move after seeing her old friend sitting across from Overhaul.

Had he planned this? Had he planned her to see this? Himari bit her lip, realizing that he probably did. She shouldn't question him once Tenko is done talking to him. Anxiety hit her like a plague. Could he have been in danger because of her? Was she insurance?

"Don't be shy now." Overhaul's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, gesturing with a gloved hand to come forward, "Didn't you want to see him? I'm giving you something that you wanted."

How did he…?

She noticed a hand reached at Tenko's neck, itching at the scarred flesh. He didn't look happy. His mood clearly showed it. She could tell he was trying to hide it though. It would be easy for other people that didn't have her quirk to notice.

She took a couple of steps forward after a few seconds of silence, walking over slowly. She was about halfway from Overhaul when Tomura's voice called out to the Precepts leader.

"What are you talking about, Overhaul?"

"Come now, you don't think your old friend wouldn't want to see you after a long time." Overhaul flipped a gloved hand, making Himari wonder if he could tell Tenko's anger was there, "There's no need to be furious with me. I have no intention of hurting her. She's merely making herself useful. She was such a useless card in Yuuei. People like her, with that power, are much better off in the hands of someone like me. Who's going to change things in the way that she is. You could just thank me really from getting her away from the heroes. She's much better off here."

She's not sure if she wants to be near either one of their ranks. Sure, Tenko is still a really important person despite what's happened, but she still doesn't want to choose between Tenko and her hero friends. She never wanted to choose. She's tired. She's homesick. She misses home more than anything. She misses the kids at Yuuei. She misses everyone. She doesn't even know how much time has passed since she was dragged here. However, she just wants her simple life. She didn't like to be mixed up in all of this.

"You're telling me she picked your side over mine?" Tomura scoffed, "How ridiculous."

Himari was about to think more on the situation, but a pistol coming from Chrono cut her off from thinking about anything. She's taken by surprise, gasping. There wasn't a need for that. Why did they attack him like that?

"Who do you think you are, little punk?" Mimic demanded, landing beside Chrono.

This exchange made her worry about her own safety now. What if Tenko lashed out? What would happen to him? Or to her? She didn't spend all this time training with Machiko, planning to save Eri just to let herself become a bargaining chip or worse.

"Funny, I was going to say the same to you. Do you think your half baked Yakuza expendables are worth as much as our previous member? That along with the arm you took from Compress?" Tomura clenched a fist, "We either need a negotiation or this is a no go."

Himari let out a sigh of relief mentally to herself. What a relief. She's glad he didn't lash out at them. That would be a nightmare. Then again, she didn't think Tenko would be that reckless.

"Chrono, Mimic, calm down." He motioned Himari to come near him. She nodded, walking over to him, pulling out her detailed report of the day. She handed it over to Overhaul as he continued, "He's trying to negotiate with us. Let him talk."

Chrono and Mimic backed down. While Tomura pulled something out that looked like a bullet. Her eyes widened. That was those quirk canceling bullets, wasn't it? The ones that could stop someone's quirk.

"I'm going to destroy justice." Overhaul's golden hues narrowed firmly, "They said All for One had the power to take quirks and that's what made him be an unstoppable force. Think of it like that but changing it up a bit."

"I see." Tomura nodded in affirmation. He didn't seem to be in the slightest angry as he was or was he able to hide from even her? Was he skilled enough to hide his emotions from her?

She continued to listen to the conversation between Overhaul and Tomura, listening to their exchanges. When they finally finished, she watched Tomura walking towards her, slamming into her shoulder. She stared into those red eyes that look like they were bloodshot, sensing something with his mood that even she couldn't pinpoint.

Was it determination? No, it was something more to it than that. It was something mixed with determination and she didn't know the right word for it.

She watched him leave, unable to look away from him.

"We have work to do, Himari." Overhaul sighed, "I'll have Chrono here take you over to Eri's room with her session. She had quite a long day."

Chrono gestured her to follow him causing Himari's eyes to widen, remembering that he was the reason why she was here.

As they walked through the dark, cold, and steel corridor, Chrono remained silent with her. It was hardly normal silence. Aiden died because of these guys and Himari can't help but feel some resentment.

Machiko's words from earlier were still in her head.

 _Stop, this isn't your fault. If it's anyone's fault, it's Overhaul's. You didn't do this. You didn't give the order out to kill Aiden. You're a girl who has a powerful quirk, a useful one._

Was that really true? Was it really not her fault? It had to be some of her fault. Sure, she wasn't the one to call the order but maybe if she was stronger, maybe if she picked up on the signs that Aiden might've been her bodyguard…

Maybe he would still be alive. Sure, they're powerful villains, but it's why Himari kept working herself to the point that she gets barely any sleep. It's not like she hasn't developed some kind of form of insomnia since getting here anyways.

Finally, they arrived over to what Himari assumed was Eri's room.

Chrono opened the door, gesturing Himari to walk in. Her top teeth, clenching her lip at the sight of Eri's terrified face. She felt a sting in her heart, slowly walking towards her.

"No please!" Eri's raspy voice screamed. Himari mentally noted to herself that she underwent some horrendous things already today.

"Eri," She took a deep breath, hearing Chrono shut the door, reminding her that she only had one hour. Himari put her hands up in defense, "I won't hurt you." She wouldn't stoop down to Overhaul's level. She wouldn't become like them. She promised herself that.

"But-But, everyone hurts me…" Eri mumbled, "I don't understand." She turned away from Himari, "Don't you hate me? You're with Overhaul so you must be bad."

She wished she could tell her otherwise. She still blames herself for not being strong enough. She couldn't tell Eri everything, especially with Chrono listening in. Overhaul had made sure to keep Himari on a tight leash. Any step out of line would end badly for her. Any slight movement.

"I wish I could tell you otherwise about being bad. I regret everything I do here, Eri," But she doesn't regret doing what she did to protect _them_. It was a hard decision, but she knew she had to keep going despite this agonizing pain in her chest. If she was going to do anything right, it was going to be saving this little girl. In the end, that's all she wanted to do if she was met with a painful death. Least she knew Tenko was okay.

"But, if there's anything wrong, it's that hating you isn't in my blood. Look at you, you're someone that hadn't wish this kind of fate on yourself." She and Eri were fairly similar. Being used but for completely different reasons.

"We're a lot similar, our quirks are both being used." She wanted to give her a shred of hope, something to live for, but she didn't know if that would make Chrono suspicious. She needed to make sure they didn't know. She needed to be cautious, but if she keeps herself tense, she wouldn't…

She activated her quirk on herself, making herself calm before she could tense up in front of Eri. In front of Chrono. She's been getting plenty of practice, using this part of her quirk. She was getting better and better by every step.

"You're…" Eri trailed off, realizing what she said before she clenched the sheets of her comforter, "No, you're lying. There's no way we're alike."

This was the most words Eri had been saying to her through their entire meetings. She was making progress.

"You'd be surprised." Himari didn't get too close to risk her from running despite knowing that Chrono was right there. She knew what would happen if Eri would get loose. If she did, she would most assuredly be dead on sight, "Some of us aren't here willingly." And she knows she's not, "I didn't have much of a choice, at least."

She heard Eri gasp. Her red eyes, shut tight at those words. Was Himari trying to help her? Was she trying to? No, she couldn't let her die. Other people have died because of her curse. Her very existence. She couldn't, she couldn't…

She couldn't get attached. She couldn't…

 _"Each and every one of your actions kill people. Yours is a cursed existence."_

Overhaul's voice always haunted her. Even if she was asleep, he was still around, and even when she ran away, he was always there, waiting for her.

" _You can't run forever, Eri. I'll always find you."_

"Please, just go away." Eri muttered through the blankets.

"No, I can't do that." Himari shook her head. She didn't mind giving her alone time, but she knew that Chrono and Overhaul wouldn't allow it.

It's getting hard, resisting the urge to snap. Every day it gets hard. Seeing this, frail, broken, hopeless girl. Her dead red eyes, her urge to be free. The scars she would see on a daily basis. The new bandages that showed the torture she went through every single day.

Himari needed to remind herself that this wouldn't be happening for much longer. It wouldn't. Her, Machiko, and the others had a plan. They would get her out of here.

They stood in silence through the duration of Himari's stay like they usually would. She wished she got her a toy while she was out, but she wasn't allowed in any stores. Not when someone could recognize her.

As she stepped out of the room. Chrono escorted her back to her room. However, when they got away from Eri's room, Chrono stopped in his tracks, causing Himari to stop on her own as well.

"What's wrong?" Himari asked before she was seized up in the air by the back of her neck, being slammed into the wall.

"I have a feeling you were trying something in there." Chrono's voice was low, leaning to whisper into her ear. He took his other free hand and twisted Himari's arm, causing her to wince in pain, "Are you dumb? Did you listen to your warnings? You don't want your little secret getting out, do we?"

Silence was heard. She wasn't even screaming in pain as most people do. She was getting tougher in this place.

He doesn't loosen his grip, "Let's be clear here, _Himari_. If you seem like you're stepping out of line again, I will not hesitate to tell Overhaul that you're trying something with Eri. Not only will your secrets be out, but you will not like the consequences of what might happen to your...friends."

Himari felt some rage in the pit of the stomach, but refuse to let it out. The nerve of these people, doing all of this because of a child. They don't have a sense of life at all. She's seen it.

"I hope you choose to cooperate with." Chrono dropped her without a second thought, "It would be a shame to lose such a useful quirk and insurance for Shigaraki." He waved her off, "Come on now, wouldn't want you to be late now."

She wanted to yell at him to leave Tenko out of this. Something, anything. However, she came to the conclusion that this would make things worse.

She just needed Eri to hang on a bit longer.

XXXX

"Are we good for today?"

Himari panted, holding her umbrella in her hands as Machiko checked the time, "Certainly is. It's about twenty minutes before you're supposed to be back in Headquarters. I have my own stuff to tend to."

Himari looked confused at Machiko's words, "What do you mean?"

Machiko sighed, "Well, I have to get going soon. You know, let the others know."

Himari blinked, a little worried that she was gonna get herself hurt. Noticing this, Machiko smiled, trying to reassure her that everything was good.

"Don't worry Himari. I'll be back. You'll just have to look out for me." She held up two of her fingers, pointing them at the pink-haired girl, "I'll see you soon though."

Himari watched Machiko walk away, confused. Was she gonna be safe? It's been only a couple of days since she saw Tenko and they had been working hard, but Machiko hadn't told anything about their plan. She didn't say anything about it, and she was being kept in the dark about it. Was she doing it to make sure Himari didn't get put at any more risk than what she already was?

Himari hope Machiko wasn't reckless. She was worried about telling her about what happened to Aiden would make her act not rational when the moment came for her to be tactical.

She would just have to trust her to make the right choice. It was time for her to head back.

XXXX

Machiko yawned, walking back towards where she was supposed to be. At the Takato agency. She made sure to blend into the crowd for a couple of blocks to make sure that the Yakuza weren't able to tail her. Once she was a few blocks away, she yawned, stretching herself out. She still had her disguise on from the Yakuza but she was able to keep her mask off and hid her face with some standard black mask that some of the Yakuza tended to wear.

Despite looking fairly calm, she knew there was a lot of guilt eating away at her. She hated leaving Himari there but she couldn't be too careful. She knew if she had tried that it would make saving Eri even harder for them. It was already difficult as it was.

Now that the streets weren't so inhibited and she was quite a few ways away, she finally was close to her destination point. The closer she got to the agency, the sooner she would be able to change back into her hero clothes and head over to the agency.

She continued walking before someone seized her arm from the alleyway that she had walked past. She struggled, digging her legs into the ground to prevent her from being dragged away. The figure's grip was too strong for her though. A strong arm covered her mouth with her hand to stop her from screaming if she wanted help.

Nonetheless, Machiko still struggled before the figure covered her nose to prevent oxygen from coming into her system. His gripped loosen briefly. She felt herself being slammed into a wall and a pale hand wrapped around her throat, keeping her cut off from her oxygen.

"You listen here, you little bitch." The gravely, familiar voice called, seeing a glint shining from the hand hiding his face, leaning his face over to whisper in her ear, "If you try anything at all, I will let my last finger touch your neck, and your throat will disintegrate without even a moment's notice."

Machiko's hand clenched his hand wrist trying to pry it off of her neck but it only tightened, "Now, now, what did I tell you, Yakuza trash? Do you want me to rat you out to your boss?"

What? What the fucking hell...

"You can't possibly forget the people around here too that might have the misfortune of walking around here. I would choose your next movements carefully before I desitintergrate you or choke you to death."

Machiko stopped struggling immediately figuring it was best to do so. If she had even a chance to survive and get the information back to the others, she needed to take it.

XXXX

Tomura dropped the woman in an instant as she coughed heavily from having her air cut off. He had been watching them when they had been away from the Hassakai. It's how he was able to realize that Overhaul had a spy. He could have told him about such things. However, that would ruin the chance to get his dear old friend Himari back. He didn't need Overhaul ruining that fun now, did he? After all, it was fun watching this hero squirm. As someone who was supposed to be a leader of an agency, she was easy to be subdued.

"Nice of you to make the right choice." Tomura chuckled sinisterly, "Perhaps you _heroes_ aren't all stupid, after all."

He knew of her. Hanato Machiko. Hero name: Takato. She runs an agency completely dedicated to sniffing out those that had the unfortunate luck of falling into the underground. Her group had made quite the commotion there. Sensei showed him a picture of her once.

"What do you want?" Machiko demanded with more of an edge to her voice, "How did you even..."

She was cut off by Tomura's foot slamming right in the wall, pinning her from where she was sitting, "Now, now, I thought you were going to behave." He tsk, giving a terrifying smirk. She's familiar, but it's only because sensei gave him a picture of her once, "I remember you lost a good friend of yours a while back that ran that troublesome little agency of yours. We wouldn't want to add casualties to that, would we?" He leaned into her space, grinning from ear to ear.

Machiko's eyes only darken in response to the mention of Aiden. Yes, Tomura heard that chattered that one of them had died in the underground.

When he didn't hear some smart remark from her, Tomura continued speaking, "Good to see you conforming." He leaned back, almost to his full height, "Now, I need you to answer a couple of questions. Don't think about lying now. I'll rat you out to Overhaul if you don't answer them honestly."

Machiko kept herself calm, biting her lip, "What makes you think I can't rat you out to him? If you kill me, Overhaul is sure to know that you did something."

Annoying. Tomura mentally noted to himself. Does this little bitch think she can get the drop on him now? However, he found one flaw in her words.

"Oh? Do you think you're that important to him? You must be really stupid if you think that. You're just a run of the mill pawn to him. If he threw you away, you wouldn't even be that important to him." Tomura gets close to her face that she can feel his hot breath on her, "He couldn't possibly care about the murder of one of his expendables."

"You're right, he wouldn't care." Machiko glared at his red eyes, "Even with that said, how do you not think you or your League might not be punished for interfering on his little group?"

This was troublesome. Even if he was able to kill her, the suspicion would drive Overhaul to him immediately. It could jeopardize the alliance he worked for, and that wouldn't work well at all.

"Let me cut to the chase then," Tomura stepped back from her, rising to his full height. He kept his foot against the wall to make sure she wouldn't go anywhere, "What are you doing in the Yakuza disguised?"

"If you know who I am, then you know what I do." She retorted back at him, seeming like she knew full well she had some leverage in this as well, "It doesn't take a genius to figure out I'm gathering information."

This once was snippy. Sassy. He still couldn't shake the fact that he needed to interrogate this hero to find out what happened. What a complete disaster. He couldn't even kill this bitch without tipping off that toucan piece of garbage.

"Are you _always_ this much of a bitch? Don't forget what I can do to you." He cracked all five of his right fingers, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Don't think Overhaul would be suspicious of you killing one of his own? Especially after what happened? It pays to be a mere expendable to Overhaul. You can hear some chatter through communications." She waved a hand, "Besides, we wouldn't want you to be killed by Overhaul, would we?"

Suddenly, her hair was pulled roughly as her back slammed into the wall.

"Did I ask for your _opinion_?" Tomura growled, not letting go of the vice grip he had on her hair, "I might not be able to kill you, but there might be a little accident if you dare to take an attitude with me further." If she forced his hand, of course.

"Don't think Overhaul might not get suspicious. From the chatter I heard, you lost a member and their arm too. You would be the first suspect they would be suspicious of." He could feel her head pounding from the grip on her hair,, "Now, do you have questions any further, or are you going to let go of me?"

She's clever, and he hates it. This is becoming much more annoying than he had anticipated.

"Not quite, actually. If I had any reason to just ask you, I would've already walked away." His fingers in his free hand-cracked, "What's your tie to helping that hero girl who's in the Yakuza? Don't play dumb with me now, I've been seeing you with her outside the last couple of days."

Silence crept in, almost agitating him further, "Well?" His hand gripped Machiko's hair harder, watching her bite her lip to suppress a scream, "If you lie…"

She groaned, deciding to comply with him, "It's because she's an old friend of mine. She lived in the same village as me when we were kids"

 _What?_

A fury went through his body before slamming her head in the wall. She was a friend? An old one? Had he have seen her? No, there was only him and Himari. That's all he had remembered. There was no other person. This woman was lying. He was the only friend she had back then. Why couldn't Himari understand that? Why couldn't any of them understand that? All these heroes and their holier than thou complex.

He knew though that Himari had wanted to see him, and he needed to wait. As much as he wanted to tear Overhaul's body to dust, he had to remember he had to keep up appearances. Besides, his plans were far more important than some dumb childhood friend.

This means as much as he wanted to kill Himari's 'friend' here, he couldn't do it. However, that doesn't mean he won't get the chance. After all, she's a leader of an agency, after all.

However, the last thing he was gonna do was to show he actually had some kind of connection to her.

"Why do you want to hear about her anyway?" Machiko groaned in pain. He was definitely strong in strength despite his lanky figure.

"You don't need to know." Came the response, "She just has an interesting power," It was more to himself. To act like he didn't need her, to act like he didn't have this urge to go after her. It's only her power that he's interested in. Their past meant nothing, "She's a useful asset, plain and simple."

So, he did have a plan? Machiko's eyes narrowed as he backed away from her, "Whatever." Tomura scoffed, taking a few steps backward, "I have a feeling you and I will meet again, Hanato Machiko."

Machiko narrowed her eyes, "You won't get her in your grasp. I'll make sure of it."

Tomura stopped in his tracks, "Oh? Are you gonna force her? Some friend you are. She's the only one that makes that decision." He's not sure though how he would respond with her going with them. She didn't belong with them. She knows what she would have to do, and he was confident that she would go with them in the end. Willing, or otherwise. Tomura turned away from the Takato leader, "When we meet again, I'll have to kill you."

Machiko snorted, watching him leave, "Good luck with that."

Tomura snorted, "I don't need luck." He told her softly before he was finally gone.

XXXX

Machiko let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the head that was bleeding. Shit, Hitomi wasn't gonna be happy when she got back to the agency, and if she was banged up, Nighteye was bound to give her a lecture for the meeting tomorrow. Suddenly, her phone rang. She picked it up, noticing who it was. Speak of the devil, "Hello?"

"Machiko? You sound like you went through a fight."

Nighteye.

"May I remind you that you need to be here tomorrow for our plan? I told you already that you overstayed your infiltration in the Shie Hassaskai. It's bad enough you stayed this long. There's something you're not telling me-"

"It's nothing, I assure you. I didn't go through " God forbid if Tenko was still around, trying to figure out what's gonna happen. The last thing she needed was him to find out. She was far enough to be away from the Shie Hassaskai. However, that didn't mean Tomura wouldn't still be watching.

"Did something happen?" Nighteye asked through Machiko's phone.

"I'll tell you tomorrow. I haven't told you everything anyways." Machiko sighed, hanging up the phone.

When she declared Himari was an old friend, the fear had crept in her body from that. There was something with Tomura that was something that scared her and she cannot pinpoint what exactly that was. One couldn't throw her off guard like that. Not many people could scare her these days.

She needed to get back to the agency. She can think about this later.

 **XXXX**

"There's been suspicion, Overhaul."

Chronostasis had seen the dead body hanging from the noose that was wrapped on the ceiling. Judging by the looks, the dead woman had been committing suicide out of sheer desperation. It wasn't unusual for one of their small soldiers to try to kill themselves. Most hadn't been from a good walk of life, per se.

"That there was a spy among us." He watched Overhaul looking up at the sight, the corpse hung there, dangling from dead air.

Overhaul's nostrils from beneath his mask were disgusted at the mere sight of a dead body, and the smell, "Disgusting," He muttered to no one in particular. He would have to give himself a shower just by the fume of this room, "You're saying this was the one?"

"It's certainly possible. However, why would the spy kill themselves?"

"Exactly, this one wasn't stupid enough to not cover their tracks." Overhaul had a feeling whoever it was, had been there for information, "We'll have to investigate it. The spy made it look like she herself had died when in reality, the dead body has been dead for a while."

"How was anyone able to act like the smell wasn't there?" Chronostatsis asked.

"Because this spy came prepared. She had something along that helped her hide the smell of the corpse. There's no way this recruit had been dead for such a short amount of time. Dead bodies have to be dead for about 24-48 hours before they smell. This one was dead for longer than that. They must've had a device to get rid of the smell." Overhaul had to admit, he hadn't seen this good of a cover-up for a long time. Not many people can throw him off. They must've been experienced in this kind of field. They must have done it multiple times. He needed to make sure whoever was the spy was unsuccessful in their plan. However, if she had gotten away, they better be prepared, "See if any files have been breached. I want this investigated as soon as possible."

 **Oh, snap, it looks like Overhaul is onto Machiko. I wonder how things will go now? Hahahaha tune in to find out next year! Feel free to review/follow/favorite!**


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